Rider's War
by Violet Eagle
Summary: With her own Forsworn by her side, Florina is unstoppable. Arya has little faith in her abilities to be queen. Eragon feels useless against his older siblings. Only Delinnëa, Oromis, and Garrow and their dragons believe they have a chance against the Golden Rider. It comes down to a Riders' War and only one side will prevail. Sequel to Black King's Daughter.
1. The Flower

**Welcome to Rider's War. As the description says, Florina has complete control of the Empire. The War has begun.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Florina, her Riders (except Murtagh and Thorn), Kuldra, Florina's children and their dragons, the Rider's from Vroengard,and the story line.**

 _ **bold-italic font is Florina's/Kuldra's thoughts and conversations.**_

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

She walked through the leafy halls of Tildarí Hall. The elves had put up a fight before Arya had called a retreat. They had left behind at least a hundred dead. The elves had not been able to stand much of a chance against the older Riders. Florina herself had lost some Riders, the younger ones. Now her youngest follower was Edan and his dragon, Kilana. She hadn't had much hope for her younger Riders, but they had begged to join the fight, remembering that she and Eragon had not been much older than they when they had joined the fight against her father. They had made stupid mistakes that got them killed. Her spies had been found tied in the dungeons of the hall which had explained why Florina herself hadn't gotten word from them. According to them, they had been seen by Arya who had an Eldunarí and the two of them had recognized the children of the Forsworn and Arya had them captured while they slept. It was a low trick, but it had proven effective enough that Florina had not known that the elves were somewhat prepared for her coming and had the spear that could kill dragons ready. Arya had wielded it herself for a time before she lost it while fighting Florina. That's when she had called the retreat as Asdrina had joined the fight to give her queen time to get away. The elf and her dragon had died shortly after that, but it had been enough to give the elves the chance to get away.

Florina thought about her own Riders. Several were dead. Some were missing, including Murtagh. His absence bothered her and she wasn't sure why. To her, his absence seemed to mean that something could happen that his presence had prevented. She wondered if it had something to do with the blood magic. She knew that Eragon and Arya had kept her prisoner and thought maybe without her older brother, they could possibly capture her again.

 _ **"When they captured us, you were weak from fighting."**_ Kuldra said suddenly as Florina's thoughts had been open to her dragon. _**"You do not need Murtagh here to keep you from being captured. This is just the first time you do not know where your brother is."**_

 _ **"That may be."**_ Florina said. _**"But that does not change the feeling that it feels like he was protecting me from something."**_ Florina thought about her vision, the one where the sight of the dead elf with her old sword. Florina gripped Naegling's hilt and concentrated on that image as some spell tried to cloud her mind once again. The feel of the twisted metal biting into her hand reminded her of the countless battles she had fought, including the one she had just fought. The pain cleared her mind and she was herself again. She thought about the witch in her dungeons. Maybe there was a way she could be useful. Florina would have to try turning her once she returned to Ilirea and began planning her next move.

Florina saw a door ajar as she walked past and stopped. Peeking in, she could see weapons and guessed that this was the armory for the royal family. She entered and looked around. Most of the weapons were Rhunön's craft as she was the most skilled of blacksmiths. She found an area where swords were supposed to be displayed for choosing or remembrance. There was one missing. Florina turned to go when she saw a gold rose with white lined petals standing on a pedestal. She remembered pulling one from her hair when she and Kuldra left the castle in the north. It had been the same except Florina could feel something different about it. Her fears about Murtagh's absence rose to the surface again and Florina grabbed the flower. If it was in the armory, then it was important.

* * *

Evarínya angled downward and landed in the bowl that was slowly emptying of dragons and their Riders. The ones who stayed were injured while Riders rushed to take their injured to the infirmary where they could be healed. Garrow had sent more Riders to Du Weldenvarden after the two spies had been found, knowing that an attack from Florina was imminent. Shortly after the Riders had arrived, Florina and her Riders had descended upon them. Oromis and Glaedr were missing. When Arya had called the retreat, he had been among the few who had stayed behind to give the rest of them time. Delinnëa climbed down from her Evarínya and the silver dragon looked at her, confused as to why her Rider was electing to stay on land while their brothers were missing. Nëa ignored her dragon and helped her father down.

Lifaen cradled his wife's old sword against his chest. The moment the retreat had been called, he had disappeared into Tildarí Hall. Delinnëa had followed him and found him taking the sword with the flower in his hand. By that time the hall had been breached and she had pulled her father from the hall. Lifaen looked around as his feet hit hard ground. So many were injured or dead. Humans, Urgals, and Dwarves worked together to help the wounded Elves. The wounded were lucky that some of their number had had the magic to keep each other from dying and thus losing some of their number. As it was, of the fifty Riders sent to Ellesméra, only half that number returned. Sighing, Lifaen began walking to the cottage that he shared with his wife. He missed her terribly and would do anything to save her, even if it meant giving his life to break the blood bond. He was concerned about the plan Angela and Arya had come up with. If it failed, he would lose his entire family in which case he felt he would rather be dead. No one had said it, but it was feared the Oromis was dead as he had not returned with them.

Lifaen entered his house and set the sword on the table, watching the golden glow in the fading light. He thought it best to put the rose next to the sword. Keep them together since it was the rose that was supposed to be the key to Florina's salvation. He reached for his pouch and felt inside. It was empty. His eyes widened in fear as he turned the pouch over and shook it. Nothing came out. The rose was not there. He had had it in his hand when he was in the armory, before Nëa had pulled him out of the hall. Maybe she had grabbed it. He ran back to the field where Nëa was looking over Evarínya for injuries and healing those she found.

"Nëa," he asked, "did you grab the rose? The one I gave your mother during the Agaetí Blödhren her first year as a Rider?"

"You had it in your hand, Dad." Nëa answered, not looking at him.

"I don't have it." Lifaen answered and his daughter spun to face him, face pale. She wanted to ask if it was a joke, but the look in his eyes told her otherwise. This was not a joke. The flower had been left behind.

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Arya watched as her people streamed into the valley. The dragons had ensured that no spies were among them and so Eragon had let the elves into the valley. Eragon was in the castle, having his young students make arrangements for the elves, so they had somewhere to stay during the war. Arya bit her lip as she sat atop Fírnen. She had been away too long. If she hadn't stayed those five years with Angela, then she would have caught the spies sooner. She would have been more prepared for when Florina and her Forsworn attacked them. They wouldn't have lost their home. Now, because she let her emotions rule her head, she had failed as a queen. Something her parents never would have let happen. She knew that neither of them would have let the fact that Florina was a friend cloud their judgement. They would have been ready for the war that had come upon them. Just like they had been for when Galbatorix had risen to power. It was the same scenario except Florina wasn't likely to make the mistakes her father had made and use her people in a war they did not believe in. She had declared a Rider's War and that is what this would be.

Fírnen turned his Rider away from the exodus into the valley and towards the castle where Saphira was waiting in the dragon hold. Arya was not looking forward to the talk she was going to be having with the blue dragon's Rider. When the elf queen thought of the attack, she couldn't help but shudder at the hatred and anger she had seen in Florina's eyes. She had seen it before. But then, it had been directed at her father, Galbatorix. This time, it was directed at Arya and Eragon for a lie. Arya was sure that Murtagh had told Florina that she had been kept prisoner which was the farthest thing from the truth. But this blood magic was clouding Florina's mind and Murtagh was there to ensure that no one could take her back again. Arya had seen him during the fight, keeping the elves from capturing Florina who was fighting on the ground. Fírnen had been in the sky, fighting with Kuldra. When Asdrina and her dragon suddenly appeared, Arya could do nothing but call a retreat, hoping that Florina would be captured and they could heal her in the valley where she would be safe.

Fírnen landed and Saphira twined her neck around his while Arya dismounted from his back and removed the saddle. He grabbed it and the two dragons went into the dragon hold. Arya walked into the castle after watching the elves for a few moments longer. Eragon met her at the stairs and started checking her for injuries. She assured him she was fine and he began asking what had happened. Arya explained in as little words as she could.

Florina and her followers had arrived in the dead of night. Gilderien had been taken by surprise by them and no word had been heard of him. The elves rumored they had seen him fighting, but they were uncertain as many had been fighting. Once they had gotten past the guardian, hell broke loose. The sentries provided enough of a warning that elves were able to grab their weapons and meet the invaders. Some hesitated when they saw Florina at their head and they were slaughtered by her. That is when the Riders from Garrow showed up and began fighting. The elves on the ground followed suit.

"I lost the spear." Arya said. "Not that I would have been able to bring myself to use it. Florina was about to kill me when Asdrina and her dragon showed up and took up the fight. Fírnen got me from the ground and we sounded the retreat. The Riders went towards Vroengard and I brought the elves here. The forest is lost to us. If I had just been able to kill her, none of this would have happened."

"This does not fall upon you alone, Arya. We are all to blame. When she got the blood magic under control, we fell lax in looking for a way to remove the blood magic from her. It is not your fault alone."

"I stayed with Angela and Nëa for five years. If I hadn't done that, I would have found the spies sooner. We would have been more ready for her than we were. I would have been prepared to kill my best friend!" Arya fell to the floor and held her head in her hands, crying silent tears. Eragon said nothing, not sure how he felt about Arya's declaration that she would have killed Florina in an effort to save her. It reminded him of the bird she had killed in order to spare its suffering the first time he had been to the forest.

 **"Better off dead, Orik had said."** Eragon remembered and mentally prepared himself for the news he was about to give the woman he loved. "Arya, I've got word from Garrow and Lifaen. Oromis and Glaedr are missing. Twenty-five are dead. And the flower is missing." Arya's head shot up at the last bit, her face pale.

"You are sure?" Eragon nodded and Arya moaned into her hands in defeat.

"What is so important about that flower? What flower?" Arya didn't answer. For her, their chances of winning this war had just plummeted to zero.

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 ***insert evil, maniacal laugh* Hope you all enjoyed the beginning of this fic. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	2. Leaders' Problems

**Enjoy!**

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 _ **The** **shackles chaffed on her wrists. He preferred to use those as opposed to ropes. He preferred anything that caused more pain. They had almost been free. If only she had felt Murtagh come up behind her. The guards had been no match for her. They never were. If only she had paid attention. She smiled at thinking of how both Oromis and Brom would have reacted to her lack of attention while surrounded by enemies and the drills they would have put her through to correct her mistake.**_

 _ **Her back arched as the whip cracked and she felt her back open. She made no cry of pain. He would have enjoyed that. Even though he claimed her as his daughter, he still enjoyed inflicting pain. At least Murtagh didn't have to watch this. Or did he. She could barely feel his mind somewhere behind her. She could barely make out her surroundings.**_

 _ **"You disappoint me yet again, Daughter." His voice growled from behind her. It was no longer silk like he used when dealing with his nobles or Nasuada. This was the real Galbatorix. This man was who she was fighting against. This was the man who had already beaten her and tried to threaten Kuldra's life should she disobey him again. But she wasn't here now. The only life in jeopardy was her own, a price she was willing to pay for Nasuada's life and the success of the war.**_

 _ **"I am not your daughter." She spat and the whip cracked again. She arched at the pain, but refused to cry out, biting her lip instead. She felt herself draw blood. She sagged and the shackles bit into her wrists again. She saw herself in one of the mirrors in Galbatorix's favorite torture chamber. He liked seeing the faces of his victims as they screamed in pain. He had made her watch before, when one of the guards had done something wrong. She couldn't remember what it had been, but she couldn't forget the mad smile on the king's face as he used the whip on the man. He wore the same smile now. She was bruised from the beating she had endured before the whipping. She had fought back during the beating which resulted in a more brutal whipping. Her hair was a mess and matted with blood. The bruises on her face highlighted her human features and the knowledge that she had been beaten by another Rider, the only other being strong enough to injure her in that manner besides the elves themselves.**_

 _ **The whip cracked again and she arched and sagged, strands of her black hair falling into her face. The rose was on the floor in front of her, atop her shirt. That had been stripped right before she was shackled to the whipping rack. Seeing it helped strengthen her. It meant that Kuldra was still alive. Lifaen was alive, the man she secretly loved. She would make it through the war alive, even if she was forever scarred. The whip cracked again. She would make it.**_

 _ **"I give you everything you could ever want!" Galbatorix bellowed. "I give you comfort. My throne. A castle. All the riches you could ever want. And still you spite me. You thought you could save the woman and it all blew up in your face." The whip cracked again and she felt more blood pour down her back. She sagged.**_

 _ **"I don't want what you have." She breathed, looking at him through the mirror. "I want my peaceful life back. The life that you stole from me when you stole my mother while I was gone. I want my friends and family to be safe, even if it means dying." The whip cracked again. "You will never win, Galbatorix. I will die before that happens." The whip cracked again and she cried out as she felt metal claws dig into her skin.**_

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She jumped into a sitting position with a shout. She clawed her night shirt off as she felt her back throbbing. Once it was off, she scrambled out of bed, getting tangled in the sheets and falling to the floor. She landed on her back which hurt worse. Hot tears of pain steamed down her face as she pulled herself free of the bedding and used her vanity table to stand. She grabbed a small hand mirror and angled it so she could see her back in the bigger mirror. Down the middle of her back were scars from a whip with metal ends, designed to strip flesh from skin and bone. She began shaking as she put down the mirror. She had been having odd dreams since winning the forest weeks ago, but this was the worst one yet. This one felt more like a memory, but she didn't remember being whipped by her father.

Florina sat on her bed and let the tears flow. The dreams that seemed like memories were beginning to frighten her. She was beginning to lose focus on what was real and what wasn't. Not even Kuldra could help her sort out the truth from the lies. She needed Murtagh. He had been there with her in the castle when her father had lived. He had been the one to save her from the spell Arya and Eragon had cast. Arya and Eragon.

Florina's mind began to clear. They had been the ones to imprison her. They had the power to cast a spell that could change her memories of the war. They would have to change her memories to make the lies truth, which would explain the whipping and the scars. And if they had cast a spell, then the rose was the key to it. In all of her dreams, that rose had been the thing she focused on. There was only one thing to do. She needed to destroy the rose.

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Delinnëa paced her bedroom. Oromis and Glaedr were still missing. Du Weldenvarden was still in Florina's control. They dared not try to take it back for fear of losing more of their number. Word had spread quickly of the elves' defeat and the dwarves and Urgals were weighing the options. If they stayed, they would fight against Florina and possibly endanger their races to her wrath should she win. If they left to defend their people, there was the chance that they could vote to side with Florina in which case they would be turning against their fellow Riders and it would be The Fall all over again. She had to convince them to stay. They needed all the help that they could get. Florina's Riders were stronger than most of the human Riders left on Vroengard as they were older. Not to mention that Florina and Murtagh were old Rider's in their own rights.

 _"We need that rose."_ Delinnëa thought darkly. _"If we can get that rose and get her to wear it, then we have a chance. It has got to be in the forest still. Dad must have dropped it when I pulled him from the armory."_

 _"And if it is not in the forest, Nëa?"_ Evarínya asked from her place in the dragon hold. _"What if your mother has taken it? Or even Murtagh and he is keeping it hidden from even his queen?"_

 _"Then we are dead, Evarínya."_ Delinnëa answered her dragon. _"That rose is the only weapon we have against the queen. Without it, we have no way of channeling the dragon magic into her blood. You would think that humans being added to the pact would have imbued them with the same dragon magic as the elves."_

 _"Dragon magic is unpredictable. I am not even sure that this plan will succeed. And then it may succeed without the extra magic."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"Say that your mother has found the rose. It is in the castle in Ilirea as we speak. It is still bound to her through dragon magic because you are right, the dragon magic from the pact is in her blood. That happened when she became Kuldra's Rider. However, Galbatorix used his own blood to bind Florina to his throne and his blood runs through her veins more so than it does your own and those of Oromis."_

 _"So the magic does have to be made stronger, regardless of what dragon magic is in her blood."_

 _"Maybe."_

 _"Speak plainly, Evarínya. Or I will tell a certain dragon that you have been watching him."_

 _"You wouldn't."_

 _"Watch me."_ Delinnëa challenged.

 _"Fine,"_ Evarínya growled. _"As I said, dragon magic is unpredictable. Take what Saphira did at Brom's tomb for example. There is the chance that the dragon magic in the rose will react to the dragon magic in your mother. If that happens, her true memories can possibly resurface, especially those with the rose in them and of those, ones where the rose is in her line of sight."_

 _"Like when she was tortured for trying to free Nasuada."_

 _"Yes,"_

 _"That is still too much to chance. With Murtagh there, he could easily tell her that they are lies planted by a spell cast by Arya and Uncle Eragon. Then we lose her to the blood magic and I fear that the longer we delay, the more we lose her to the point that we will have to kill her."_ Delinnëa finally stopped pacing and sat on her bed. She didn't know what to do. Lifaen couldn't seem to make a decision anymore. Garrow was happy leading the humans as a general, but was deferring to her and Lifaen now that they had returned. Delinnëa had tried talking to Arya, but she didn't know what to do either. Neither did her uncle. It seemed everything was settling on her shoulder's alone and she hated it. It was not a responsibility she felt she was ready for. Just like Eragon had when Nasuada and her mother had been prisoners of Galbatorix. She wanted her mother. She didn't want to be a leader. She had never expected to be a Rider and now she was expected to lead them. It was too much for a half-elf who was almost sixty years old. She was too young for something like this. Much too young.

* * *

 **Before you flame me for that last bit, please keep in mind that even though Florina was much younger than her daughter when she became leader of the Riders, she had a mentor in Oromis and Glaedr.**

 **Thanks for reading and please review. I get my ideas from your reviews.**


	3. Without Murtagh

Her sword clashed with that of her opponent's. It was the only thing that helped keep her sane in the world of politics she had gotten herself into. She was a fighter. She always had been. She had fought for her place in her father's court. She had fought against the Varden. Then against her father when she had seen how he had used her people. Now she was fighting against the Riders under Eragon. Once again, family was fighting family. Eragon believed that he could keep her from her throne, hers by right of birth, by casting a spell. She had been there when her father had died. She had sensed it when he and the dragons had gotten into his mind. It was that farfetched to believe that he had done it to her, to scramble her memories. The dragons had been a help in that to she guessed.

The queen ducked under her opponent's blade and rested Naegling on her collar bone. The Rider submitted and Florina backed away and scowled. These Riders were too slow and too predictable. They had yet to find their own style of fighting. They fought in the way Eragon had taught them. She knew his moves and so she knew theirs. Florina stalked back to the castle and the nobles within. Murtagh was a better challenge for her. He always had been. He had matched Brom and Eragon in different ways. She broke a sweat when they sparred together. But he was still missing. She had searched the forest for him and found nothing. When she scryed him, she only saw darkness, as it had been when he had to pretend to be captured by the Twins. Just as it was then, she didn't know if this was a spell or true and he was gone from the world. The thought troubled her. The dreams were becoming more real, as if they were memories. Last night's had been of Murtagh and Eragon fighting before her and her father. She remembered the fight, except, in the dream, she had been standing next to her father instead of sitting next to him and using her power to keep Elva and Arya where they were. She had loved to see the betrayal on the elf's face when she realized that Florina had been a spy. But in the dream, she had only felt horror when she saw the elf's expression. She was sure that it had something to do with the spell the two of them had cast, but every day and every dream cast doubt into her mind. Kuldra couldn't make sense of it either.

"Your Majesty," a voice called from down the hall and Florina groaned. She did not want to talk to any of the nobles from Surda at the moment. She had invited the king so they may talk of a peace treaty. He had brought his three sons and his daughters along with a handful of nephews. She knew what he wanted. A marriage to align the two kingdoms. The daughters would have been for Murtagh had he been there. But there was more prestige in being married to the queen. She thought she had made it obvious that she had not wanted a husband. Not when she was in the middle of a war and there was no way she was going to promise herself to a man who was a family member of one of her most loyal followers. She would have to get Edan to speak to them. She needed to speak to Sila. Florina was loath to lose Edan back to his countrymen. He had proved loyal to her and she enjoyed his company. She would need to test his abilities.

* * *

The werecat looked at the valley in relief. He had made it. Of all of his siblings, he alone had retained his father's ability to sense magic and so had been able to follow the queen's trail to the valley, even though she had flown in rather than walked. Angela needed help. If Florina learned the real reason for Angela being in Ilirea, the witch was a dead woman.

 _"Who goes there?"_ He heard a dragon demand. It wasn't one of the old ones who had used his ancestors to get a message to Eragon years ago. This one was younger. One of the new dragons.

 _"I am a watcher of the watchers."_ The werecat replied. It was something the Arya told Angela to tell the elves or the Riders should she ever be in distress. He hoped that either Eragon or Arya were listening. He needed into the valley.

 _"Proceed straight to the castle, Werecat. They are expecting you."_

The werecat said nothing and hurried though the hole in the barrier. He didn't care that it closed in behind him. He didn't plan on leaving until Eragon rode to war with his sister. He needed to tell them that something was wrong with her now that Murtagh was missing. The son of Solembum entered the castle under the scrutiny of Saphira and Fírnen. Eragon and Arya were waiting just inside the doors. Arya's face set into a grim line when she saw that it was he, Angela's new companion. They had met briefly, when they had sought out Angela for help in this war. She spoke a few words to Eragon before he led them to a small room off the entrance chamber. He guarded the room with spells and then turned to the werecat. The werecat looked at the Rider. He was considered ancient now, along with his brother and sister. He had been the second of a new generation of Riders. The fact that he had to report on his sister did nothing to ease the tension the werecat felt in the room.

 _"Why have you come?"_ Saphira asked as her head and Fírnen's entered through open windows. The two dragons looked at the werecat, as if appraising him for a meal. _"What do you go by?"_

 _"Unlike my father, I prefer to keep my name hidden from all in case it should fall into the wrong hands. I am Solumbem's son and that is all you need know."_ The werecat answered.

"A name would be nice," Arya muttered, remembering him during the time she and Delinnëa had spent with him and Angela.

 _"Call me by my father's name if you wish."_

 _"We will shorten it."_ Eragon said. _"That way I don't get confused. Solum, why have you come."_

 _"It is Angela. The plan, may not work."_ Solem answered. Arya grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and picked him up. He hissed at her as she brought him to eye level and glared at him. He glared back, none too happy about his current situation.

 _"What has happened to her? And why are you here instead of trying to help her?"_

 _"I am trying to help her."_ Solem hissed. _"She was thrown into Florina's dungeons. It was just before the attack on the forest. They could be torturing her. I do not know. All I know is that Florina does not trust her and for your plan to work, the rose needs to be given to Florina by someone that she trusts."_

"You let Angela go against my sister by herself?" Eragon asked in disbelief. "She's beaten you in battle twice, Arya."

"I know that, Eragon!" Arya hissed. "Angela assured me that she would be fine. I thought she was going to wait until the dragons had imbued their magic into the rose and then I could get it to her to give to Florina, as a grateful subject of the Empire." Arya dropped the werecat onto a chair and sat next to him in another. Eragon began pacing.

 _"Florina recognized Angela. She knew her from Tronjhiem."_

 _"She remembers Tronjhiem?"_ Saphira asked. _"How can that be?"_

 _"I am not sure. But that is not all. The queen of the Empire has not been sleeping well as of late. A few nights ago, she woke and looked at her back."_ Arya looked at the werecat sharply. Eragon stopped pacing and looked at her.

"Arya?"

"You said she looked at her back after waking." The elf confirmed. The werecat nodded.

 _"She seemed very distraught, actually. Then she seemed to decide something and calmed and went to the library. She wasn't able to go back to sleep."_

"What is the significance of a nightmare?"

"It wasn't a nightmare." Arya whispered. "She never told you, but she told me in the days when she lived on the Crags and I was raising Fírnen. It was an accident actually. She was doing some exercises in the morning with a short shirt on. She had her back to me and I saw them. Scars from a whipping. They looked like they were still healing. I walked over and touched them and she jumped away from me, pulling on a full shirt as she did so. It took some pressing, but she told me. She had been whipped during her stay at the castle. It was punishment for trying to help Nasuada escape."

"But why didn't she get rid of the scars?"

"His orders. The healers were to keep them, as a reminder of what would happen should she disobey again. She kept them to remind herself of her failure to save one whom she loved dearly enough to endure the torture for."

"They never told me." Eragon whispered and knew that it was Florina's shame that had kept her from sharing the secret with all except for her husband and Arya. Nasuada knew, but only because she had also been a prisoner. "What does this mean then, for the plan?"

"We have to find that rose." Arya said. "Her memories are returning to her. They need strength to become truth in her mind again, so she knows what is real and not."

"And what of Murtagh?" Eragon asked. "Surely he is convincing her that what she is remembering are lies we planted in her mind when she was weakened by say a whipping."

 _"Murtagh is missing."_ Solem informed them. _"He has been since they took the forest. She does not know where he is or if he is alive."_

"Murtagh is the one who took her this time. If he is the one who brought the blood magic to the surface, then it is tied to his presence to her. It means that even though it looks to have taken control of her, my sister is still fighting, trying to return to us."

 _"And if Florina can be influenced by Murtagh, she can be influenced by Kuldra even more so. Just as our bond has grown stronger, so has theirs. If we can free Kuldra from the blood magic, then she can save Florina."_ Saphira said.

 _"But first,"_ Fírnen interrupted, _"we have to find Murtagh and ensure that he stays as far from Florina as possible. He became Galbatorix's right hand once he became a Rider. He is now Florina's right hand. She trusts him with her life and with Kuldra's life."_

 _"We need to find a way to get rid of the blood magic."_ Saphira said. _"That is the only way to free the four of them."_

* * *

 **I promise, we will look in on Murtagh next chapter. Hehehe, I've been waiting for this one. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	4. Am I Strong Enough?

**Hi Everyone! Sorry I've been inactive. Some things happened and so I couldn't work on my fics. But I hate leaving things unfinished and so here it goes. Enjoy! (And no, this is not the last chapter, far from it)**

 **So now to the two you all have probably been worrying about. Enjoy!**

* * *

Murtagh looked at the red hot poker and thought of the past. The last time he had held the thing was when he had been torturing Nasuada when she refused to join with Florina and her father. It had been a stupid move on her part even though it had gotten her the crown in the end. That was the part that bothered him the most. Even though Florina had proved herself to the Varden by killing her father, they had not let her keep her throne. Instead, they had placed a spell to make it so she wouldn't remember the truth and gave the empire to Nasuada whom they believed had won the Varden the war when in all actuality, it had been Florina and Eragon who had won the war by killing the king. Murtagh didn't know how Florina truly felt about that act. He knew that her feelings had been confused when she had returned from the Vaden and then again when she had been faced with the ultimate choice of killing her father or defending him and killing Arya and Eragon whom never would have sided with them. Now, the same war was happening again and Eragon and Arya were plotting on how to either subdue Florina or kill her. He had to know which it was so he could figure out a way to keep her safe.

He turned to the Rider behind him. The Rider was a half-breed but seemed to take after his elven father. He looked young, but taking after his father, it was hard to say if the Rider really was in his fifties or over two hundred years old like Arya was. Even Florina, being human born, still looked young compared to how old Brom had looked and how Murtagh looked himself. She and Eragon had been touched by the dragons and given the strength and abilities of the elves which seemed to include their extended youth. Eragon had, however, retained the ability to grow a beard and had kept shaving it for a time, at least until he had left Alagaësia. The last Murtagh had seen, his baby brother had finally let his beard grow out and kept it trimmed at his chest.

The Rider moved and his chains rattled. Murtagh continued to examine the poker. His bronze dragon was currently in the dragon hold with Thorn, chained and blocked from reaching his Rider. In turn, the Rider was also blocked from reaching his dragon. The Rider would tell him their plan for Florina. If he had to, Murtagh was ready to use the same tortures that Galbatorix had favored.

"What have you done to me?" The Rider hissed and Murtagh smiled.

"I've done nothing, yet." The ancient Rider answered. "But I will if you do not tell me what you have planned for the queen."

"I am trying to save the Golden Rider."

"The Golden Rider? Yes, that is the name the queen took up when she was a spy within the Varden. She preferred to be called that than her name so her father's people would not think that she was rebelling against her father. It was why she had always worn armor that reflected in the sun, so no one would see her face. It was a convincing act. There were times that I wasn't sure whose side she was on."

"You had been on her side once. When you and Eragon had arrived at the Varden. She had been there and you had fought alongside her. You fought against the king."

"A ruse to get them to trust her. Of course, I couldn't just leave them so I planned my kidnapping by the Twins to keep her safe. And so she had remained until the very end when she was sitting next to her father in the throne room of Urû'baen." Murtagh replaced the poker into the coals and took out another that was cherry red. He smiled and turned to the Rider chained to the wall. "So now, are you going to tell me what I want to know."

"You can go to hell, Traitor."

Murtagh shrugged. "Have it your way." He pressed the poker to the Rider's bare skin and smiled at the scream that came from him.

* * *

Oromis hung limp from his chains. His chest and arms ached as did his throat. He couldn't believe that was his uncle, the oldest of Selena's children. His smile…he had enjoyed torturing his nephew. But the way he had been acting, Murtagh had no idea who they were to each other. When the ancient Rider had gone to live with his sister, Oromis and his sister had been with Eragon. He hadn't met them and they looked more like their father than they did their mother. It was the only thing that was protecting them for the moment. If Murtagh learned that they were Florina's children, he wouldn't fail to report it to his queen who would then know she had two more she could call to her under the command of the blood magic. But if Angela was right, the dragon magic in their blood should protect them. Not to mention she might think it a false union with his father while she was caught in a spell. In her mind, she would think that he had chosen to give himself to her in order to make the spell work. But there had been no spell before this. His mother had gone to his father of her own will. She had loved him and, Oromis knew, she still loved him. if only she could remember it.

Oromis waited for supporting opinions from Glaedr but none were forthcoming. Murtagh had placed a spell between the two of them that kept dragon and Rider from speaking with each other. All Oromis knew was that his dragon was safe, for the moment. He had no idea what Murtagh would do in the form of torture to get Oromis to loosen his tongue and let slip the plan to save his mother. He needed to be strong, for both of them.

Oromis turned his thoughts to his sister and father. They were on their own for now. Before he had been captured by Murtagh, he had seen Arya sound a retreat. In the chaos, he had seen Nëa pull their father onto her dragon and the two of them flying away, Florina's old sword in his father's arms. Once Oromis had seen that his family was safe, he turned to get to his mother, to spirit her away from Murtagh and his influence. Instead, he had been spirited away from his family by Murtagh. He had no idea where they were or how to get back. For all he knew, they could be hidden in the desert somewhere. His odds of surviving the war were slim.

The door opened and Murtagh entered the room once more, lighting the fire with a simple word. Oromis could feel his eyes on him, as if admiring his work. What tortures did this man know? What would he use? He had mentioned that he had learned of a fourth Rider sent to Du Weldenvarden before Florina had attacked. That could only mean that Alia, Riflen, and Naridan had fallen during torture or had their minds broken. It would have been the only way that his mother would have learned about Asdrina going on to Ellesméra with the information that his mother would protect her people no matter what. It was the only reason that she had attacked the elves. In her mind, she must have thought that they had attacked her first by trying to take the people of Yazuac from her.

"Where is my dragon? What have you done with him?" Oromis demanded.

"Your dragon is safe for now." Murtagh said and Oromis didn't like the tone of his voice, his suspicions confirmed. Glaedr's life depended on Oromis and the young Rider wasn't sure if he could bear to let his best friend be tortured just for information on Florina and Kuldra and the plan to save them. It wasn't like Oromis could send Glaedr away like his mother had done when she had been Galbatorix's prisoner. Glaedr was in danger and Oromis knew that Murtagh would torture the dragon just to get his Rider to talk. Were they strong enough to endure something like that? Could Oromis be just as brave as his mother or would he do anything to protect the two of them? Murtagh touched the cherry red poker to his nephew's skin and pressed deep. Oromis roared in pain.

* * *

Glaedr looked up at Oromis's roar of pain. He was being tortured again. The bronze dragon knew that the ancient Rider wanted to know what the plan was to save gold-dragon-Kuldra and partner-of-heart's-mother-Rider-Florina. Red-dragon-traitor-captor-Thorn had done much of the same thing to him. Glaedr was unsure if either of them would be able to keep their tongues in check long. Glaedr knew his partner-of-heart would tell the plan if only to keep Glaedr safe and alive where Glaedr would gladly die in the service of the Golden Rider, to save his Rider and his family. If he wasn't chained, he would be able to leave and so not put his partner-of-heart in that situation. It was the same situation Oromis's mother had been in with Kuldra and the bronze dragon was loath to repeat the event with his own Rider. But they were in the same situation. Murtagh could easily threaten to kill Glaedr which would force Oromis to take drastic measures, possibly even take his own life. The bronze dragon remembered their name sakes. He remembered how Kuldra's father had given his Eldunarí to Eragon and Saphira to help them and still teach them. As they were learning, Glaedr had been with Saphira, helping her teach the twin Riders while Eragon worked with the older students some days.

Glaedr still had his, but he knew that if he transferred his consciousness to it and he was to die, Murtagh would be able to take it, and him, and threaten to crush it to break his Rider. No, he couldn't do that. If he was to die, he would die fully, so no part of him would be left to be used against Oromis. Glaedr looked at Thorn. It was a sacrifice he was ready to make. Oromis was strong if he had a reason to be and if that reason was to be because his mother was in danger and his dragon was dead, then he would be. Glaedr just hoped that Oromis would be strong after everything was said and done. Oromis couldn't blame himself if something happened to his dragon, otherwise, the sacrifice would be in vain. They just both had to be strong, for Florina and Kuldra. If the Riders lost them, then everyone lost, especially Oromis and Delinnëa.

* * *

 **Vote! Will Oromis and Gleadr turn or die? hehehe, of course I have yet to decide. I'm not sure for either course of action at the moment. There might even be a third option. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Memories or Dreams

**Enjoy,**

* * *

 _ **The glow of the heated poker filled her vision. Murtagh was holding it out to her. She knew what he was doing. It was what Galabtorix wanted her to do. Next to them laid Nasuada. She knew that she was waiting to see what would be done. Would she turn to the man who sired her or would she fight him? She didn't move.**_

 _ **"Take it." Galbatorix growled. She still didn't move. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of turning her allies against her. She still needed to find a way to get Nasuada away before Galbatorix could turn the Varden leader against her or torture her to the point that she would no longer be sane. She looked at him and made herself stand a little straighter. "I said to take it." The glow began to fade as the poker cooled. "Murtagh, another." The poker was taken away and a new glow filled her vision. She felt Galbatorix's hand grab her wrist. She fought against him as he pried her fingers open and Murtagh forced the handle of the poker into her hand. She refused to do this. A scream tore through the air.**_

 _ **Things became a blur, except for a white rose with gold lined petals. That was clear in her mind.**_

* * *

The witch looked at the cell. It had been so long since she had been down here, much longer to the point that she had never thought to be back. She had sworn to herself that she was done with this place. Even after the Varden had won, she had spent as little time as possible near the base of the castle. Now here she was again.

The door banging open down the hall forced Angela back to reality. Seconds later, Florina was standing in the cell with the chained witch. The Rider looked frazzled, as if she had had little to no sleep since Angela had been thrown down into the dungeons. The Rider's hair, usually neat and in place was flying everywhere, as if she had not cared to put it together or she had just come from flying. Judging by the time of day, Angela was inclined to believe the former option. In the Rider's hand was cupped a gold rose whose petals were lined with white. Angela knew it. It was the one that Lifaen had given her. One of them anyway. The elf had given her many over the years. Angela hoped that this was the one that Arya had gone to find when they parted ways.

"This is hardly comfortable. I thought I was a guest, not a prisoner." Angela said, trying her best to look unafraid. Florina was unstable now. There was no telling what she would do. Florina was unpredictable where her father had been somewhat predictable. Florina began pacing, as if needing to gather her thoughts. She kept her eyes on the rose.

"What is the significance of this rose?" Florina demanded. Even her voice sounded tired and unhinged. This did not bode well for Arya and Eragon. If Florina learned that the rose was to free her, or in her mind trap her, she would fly to the valley and no amount of magic would be able to save the refugees and the residents. Her anger would be directed at the ones she felt were responsible. But this was also her chance to earn Florina's trust. The plan could still work if Angela could open the Rider's mind to the prospect that what she is doing is the result of a spell. Angela just needed to get Florina to trust her and that would be with the truth. "Answer me, Witch."

"That rose was given by an elf to his true love during the Agaetí Blödhren during the war with your father." Angela answered. Florina nodded, somewhat satisfied.

"What reason would there be for it to be in the royal houses? Why would it be in the armory of the elves?"

Angela hesitated. Florina suspected that it was meant to be a weapon. The witch wondered what could have happened that had caused that thought. Why would the queen be having sleepless nights? Florina stopped pacing and looked at the witch. There was a promise in them that the witch would regret lying to her. But she couldn't tell her the real reason. Not until after the rose had done its job.

"The elf must have been a member of the royal household and wanted it kept safe for his love. Or he just wanted it kept safe and the queen obliged him. Perhaps he did something notable during the war." Angela closed her mouth before she went too far. The connection between Florina and the flower and the magic had been made and confirmed when Arya mentioned that Florina hadn't had a flower in her hair. If Florina remembered pulling that flower from her hair, she would be able to guess the real reason for the rose. It could not come to that. Not if they wanted to save her. If the rose were destroyed, there would be no saving Florina and Kuldra and they would have to be killed. Florina began pacing again.

* * *

Florina walked away from the mirror. She hated how she looked. She wasn't getting much sleep lately and she hated it. But the dreams that seemed like memories continued to plague her. Now it was more than just had happened in the war. Now she was having memories that didn't have anything to do with the rose. That had begun after she had gone to see the witch. Florina was beginning to think that was a mistake. After talking to the witch, the dreams began changing her childhood. In the dreams, she wasn't raised in the castle with her father and the nobles all around her. Instead, she was the daughter of a blacksmith and his spellcaster wife. Florina remembered them. The wife more than her husband. Her father had been gathering spellcasters to help him in his vision and to train her as she had begun to show signs of magic after Kuldra had hatched and her father was too busy to train her at times. Other memories included getting hit in the back of the head after Durza's death in Tronjhiem. Though there was truth to that, according to Murtagh.

Kuldra was just as confused about what was going on and couldn't give her Rider an answer as she was having the same problem. She was having dreams that seemed like memories, just like her Rider. The most prevalent seemed to be of Kuldra still in her egg and listening to the water around her, as if she had been in water for years. It was strange as Kuldra's egg had never gone into the water. Morzan had succeeded in taking it from Oromis and Glaedr and bringing it to Galbatorix who had then left it with the other three eggs. Then Saphira's egg had been stolen. Sometime after that, Florina had stolen Kuldra's egg and taken it, in the hopes that it would hatch for her as she had heard it squeak when she was in the room with her father. Being found in the water didn't make sense to either Rider or her dragon. The only solution that the two of them could come up with was that Kuldra had been near or in water before she was found by Oromis and Glaedr. Neither one of the pair could shake the feeling that these dreams were more than that. But neither could pin down what and why they were happening. If they were to ask the witch, she could easily lie to them and they would be no closer to learning the truth about what was happening to them.

 _ **"Maybe it has something to do with the spell your father cast to keep you safe and to keep the throne within your bloodline."**_ Kuldra said.

 _ **"What do you mean?"**_

 _ **"What if there are two spells trying to control you? Perhaps the two magics are what is messing with our minds. We have become one more and more over the years that if a spell affects you, it will affect me as well. What if that is the case?"**_

 _ **"But Father never said anything about a spell to keep me bound to the throne."**_

 _ **"But didn't Murtagh say something. That he was bound to you through some spell that your father cast which is how you were able to call your followers to you with one exception."**_

 _ **"But that's not information he would have just laying around. If that is true, no spell in the ancient language would be able to hold as it would have to be bound to our true names and those can change. Not to mention that it would not have worked for those bonded to me."**_

 _ **"So then a different type of magic. Maybe a type of Shade magic."**_

 _ **"Something Durza taught him. That would be in,"**_

 _ **"his private writings. Where would he have kept those?"**_

 _ **"In his rooms. I remember there being a set of rooms that no one could get into. I still can't get into them. Those must be Father's rooms. I need to get into that room. If that is the case, then maybe we will have our answer. Perhaps Eragon and Arya found the same sort of spell to keep me trapped."**_

 _ **"Or they used the rose for that. It was your leash until Murtagh took you from them. But first, we need to know what your father did to you."**_

* * *

Kuldra watched through her Rider's eyes as she hurried down the halls to the locked doors. She hated lying to her Rider, but something wasn't right about the whole thing. She had been having another dream that she knew was a memory and it was when the first rose had been given. She vaguely remembered yelling at her Rider to remember a golden rose. That rose had to be the one that she kept seeing in their memories. Not only that, there was something deep within her that was telling that this wasn't right. But she needed the proof before she could try to convince her Rider of this truth. Angela the Witch knew that truth, but was refusing to tell them. If it proved that this was the truth, the witch would regret lying to the two of them about this. She had claimed to come and serve the queen. Even if the throne had been stolen back, Florina was now the queen and always would be. No matter what anyone said.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please review**


	6. Needs

Delinnëa paced what had been her mother's study when she had lived on Vroengard. Something needed to be done about this. Her spies had just reported in and it did not look good for them. The rose could not be found anywhere near Tildarí Hall where they had been keeping it. It had to mean that her mother had it or Murtagh did. But they could not be sure without a spy in the castle for them. All they knew for sure was that Murtagh was missing. Delinnëa had been able to get at least that from her uncle in the short conversation they had had hours earlier. He had been short with her and for good reason. She was asking him to ask his adopted brother to help in a war that should stay between Riders. But her mother had not left it between Riders. She had attacked the elves…

 _"Who are allies of the Riders."_ Evarínya butted in to the silent argument the half-elf was having with herself. _"Dwarves, Humans, and Urgals were not part of the original pact. They were added in through magic and those Riders have never been close to their parent races after the completion of their training. Only the elves have ever been close to the Riders. The other races respect the Riders because of the past and because of their power and because of their contribution to the world. But they have no stake in the Riders like the elves do. Think of it this way,"_ the silver dragon said when her Rider didn't answer. _"The elves have been Riders for generations going back to the first, Eragon and his white dragon. When the humans were added, the elves and elder Riders, who were elves, trained them until the humans were old enough to help with the training. And when the other two races were added, who did the training? Nëa, who trained them?"_

 _"The elves, Evarínya. The elves, my mother, and my uncle."_

 _"And it was Garrow who was put in charge when your father left with Arya after your mother was taken. Not one of the Urgals and not a dwarf. A human from a bloodline that has done many great things. Eragon's blood, in part. Garrow is technically Eragon's cousin."_

 _"Get to the point."_

 _"Imagine if your mother was to go to Orik and the Herndall and promise them places of power for their races if they were to join her and their Riders joined her. New Riders from eggs given from her would be hers to command and to lead and who would have a stake in the Riders. They would have been a part of this new regime from the beginning."_

 _"So, we have to stop her before she can do that."_

 _"At the end of this war, you can be sure that she will approach them. Not before. Right now, if she has that rose and it is working, she has enough to think about."_

 _"I need a spy in the castle."_

* * *

Eragon paced his study. He couldn't believe that Delinnëa was asking him to pull the dwarves into this fight. This was a fight between Riders. More, it was a fight between family. He should be the one leading the charge against Florina, not his niece, her daughter. No child should have to fight their parent like this. It was bad enough that Florina had done it without knowing until the very end, after Galbatorix was dead. But she believed she had fought at his side and not against. That was Murtagh's fault. No, it was Galbatorix's fault. He cast the spell on the two children. He is the one who sought to remain in control even after he was dead.

Eragon knew he needed to help, but he had left for good reason. He needed to train the new Riders and protect the eggs and the eldunarí. If he left to fight his older siblings, he would be leaving them defenseless. He couldn't go to Arya. She had withdrawn and nothing he said could bring her back to reality. He needed a way to show her that she had not failed in her task as queen. She saved her people by calling a retreat. Vanir might be able to help and as much as that thought hurt him, Eragon knew it was the right one. Eragon was not an elf like she was. She needed to hear from her people that she had not failed them, if that is what they believed. Maybe Fírnen would be able to snap her out of it. Delinnëa needed a Rider who could stand against the queen if it came to that and Arya was the only one strong enough to do so.

* * *

Murtagh looked at the blood on the floor. It was from his captive who refused to talk. His dragon refused to speak as well. It wasn't an unexpected result. What was unexpected was the lengths the pair were going to keep the information from him. He needed the information to keep his queen safe.

 _"We have been here so long, who's to say that she has stayed safe?"_ Thorn interrupted his Rider's thoughts. _"We have not been there to ensure that the spells worked by your brother and his love do not once again take hold of your sister. Yet for the past several months, we have been here, torturing a Rider who refuses to talk."_

 _"You think we should just leave them here and be done with them. The idea has crossed my mind several times. But we cannot leave them here. If they get free, they can aide Eragon's Riders."_

 _"So we take them with us. I am strong enough to carry the dragon. The Rider you keep bound by a spell until we reach Ilirea. Maybe your sister can break them."_

 _"She has gotten proficient in that, hasn't she. Very well. You are right, Florina needs us at her side. What I've seen when I've looked in on her has not been inspiring. She looks like she hasn't slept in weeks. Maybe months. She needs me, her brother."_

 _"We will await you in the hold."_

* * *

Lifaen looked at the dragons assembled before him. They were wild dragons who had hatched in the valley after Eragon had made it safe. These had come after Florina took the forest and were somewhat helpful in the fight against her. He had overheard Delinnëa talking to the messenger and heard that the flower had not been found. That left only one solution. Florina had it in her possession. It gave him hope, but he needed to be there in order for his hope to work. The plan needed to change. He had no doubt that his children would be safe regardless if his plan worked in the way it should or not. Their elven blood, heavily imbued with magic from the dragons, would be safe from the blood magic that lie dormant there, if it existed in them at all. Florina had done her best to protect them all, now it was his turn. He just needed a ride to the mainland.

 _"Why have you called us here, Elf?"_ One of the dragons, a male, asked. It was hard to pinpoint which one it was.

"I need to get to the mainland. Only dragons can get through the barriers that surround this island. I need your help in getting there."

 _"And why must you go to the mainland?"_ The lone female asked. _"Do you wish to turn against your family and kin to join the queen."_

"I go to the mainland to save my beloved who has fallen victim to the spell placed upon her by her own father. I can no longer sit idly by while my children fight in a war not of their making." Lifaen said, not looking away from the dragons. "This is because of a final, desperate act by a desperate man to continue his rule upon a stolen throne. I am not asking you to take me to the gates of Ilirea, just to the forest. I will make my way to her from there." An amethyst dragon strode up to him and lowered his head to one eye was fully upon the elf.

 _"You truly intend to try to save her."_ He said. _"And if she cannot be saved?"_

"Then I will do what must be done." Lifaen wasn't sure if he would be able to when the time came, but if it meant saving his children from doing it, then he would take on the madness of being alone and spare Florina the madness that was taking her. He would not allow her father's madness to spread any further than it already has. "I just need passage to the mainland." The dragon raised his head and looked at his fellows. One by one, they flew off until only he remained.

 _"Then I will take you."_ The dragon said as he ripped some bark from the nearby tree. _"Strap this to your legs so you will be safe from my scales. You'll be next to useless if you cannot even walk."_

"I hear Eragon did just fine."

 _"That may be, but you are not he and I am not Saphira. Put these on."_

* * *

 **Short little bits, I know. But worth it since I wanted to get a glimpse at other characters since this fic might be getting close to its resolution. Not within the next few chapters, but things are going to start picking up. hehehe Thanks for reading and please review.**


	7. Looking

"Majesty, a Rider comes!"

Florina looked up from the book of spells in her lap at the call. She had locked herself in the library for the past few weeks to try to find a way into her father's rooms. So far, she had found nothing.

 _ **"A Rider? Is it just the one, Kuldra?"**_

 _ **"There are two. One is being carried."**_

 _ **"Dead or alive?"**_

 _ **"Unconscious, but alive. It is a bronze dragon."**_

 _ **"Bronze?"**_ That was the same color of the dragon from her vision. Its Rider was a half-elf. A bronze Dragon had also tried to get to her. That's the one Murtagh had been fighting right as the retreat was being sounded by Arya. _**"Who captured who?"**_ Florina wondered as she hurried to the courtyard. She had been scrying for Murtagh for months. She had a plan and she needed him to pull it off. Though, he was near dead for making her think that he was dead. She would make sure of it. The red dragon was landed and the bronze dragon was unconscious and so was the Rider in the arms of two more Riders. Murtagh was leaning against Thorn. He stood straight as Florina approached him. her fist connected with his jaw and he was on the ground next to Thorn. Florina stood with her arms crossed as he stood.

"Where have you been, Murtagh?" She demanded.

"Interrogating this Rider." He gestured to the unconscious Rider hanging limply between the other two Riders.

"Take him to the dungeons. Chain him up. And make sure he can't talk to his dragon." Florina said. "Take the dragon to isolation. Make sure he can't talk to the other dragons. Total isolation."

"Yes, Majesty." They answered and their dragons took the bronze to where the elves' dragons were being kept.

"Did you learn anything from them?" She asked, walking away. He followed.

"Unfortunately, they decided to go to great lengths to keep secret whatever information they have."

"That is unfortunate, for you." She said as they entered her study when she turned around and knocked him down with the back of her hand. "If you are going to disappoint me, you had better think of a better excuse. You disappeared for months." She planted her foot firmly on his chest, not letting him up. "You say you disappeared so you can torture that Rider, one who has appeared to me in visions. You are supposed to be a master in retrieving information for me. You took the information from the elves that we still have in my dungeons. Why could you not take information from him and his dragon?" She looked into his eyes and could see fear. She scowled. He was afraid of her because she was turning into her father. Well if that was the way it needed to be. "I'm going to send you on another mission." She said. "As we speak, two dozen Riders are preparing for battle. I am sending them to Vroengard to wipe out those who oppose me. They are to be given a chance to join me. If they refuse, they and their dragons are to be killed. The ones who do choose to serve me are to be stripped of their weapons and kept under guard for protection and security. And to make sure you don't screw this up, Edan will lead alongside you."

"You summoned me, Majesty?" Edan's voice suddenly entered the conversation. Florina looked at him and saw that he was in full armor, ready for battle. She nodded.

"Yes, Edan. I did." Florina took her foot from her brother's chest and stood straight. "You have been asking for a chance to prove yourself. This is your chance. You and Murtagh are to lead an attack against Vroengard. Capture those who are willing to serve. Kill those who refuse."

"You have my word that it will be done, Majesty." Edan answered. Florina waved him away.

"I have one more thing to ask of you, Murtagh." Florina said as he was about to walk out of the room. "How do I enter my father's rooms?"

* * *

Lifaen looked at the amethyst dragon. They had flown across the ocean in three days, the wild dragon having to use his reserves of strength just to cross and land them on the beach. He was now sleeping to regain that strength. He was going to need it to get back. It was harder to get back into Vroengard than it was to get out. But that didn't concern Lifaen. He doubted he would be going back to that island. Delinnëa was doing a fine job of leading the Riders. If Florina could be saved, maybe it was for the best that the two of them disappear. Either to the north or to the valley with Eragon where Murtagh couldn't get to them, if he lived. If Lifaen had his way, the traitor would die for what he had brought upon them all. Florina would have been fine if it hadn't been for him.

Lifaen gave one last look towards Vroengard before disappearing into the forest. He would first stop in Palancar valley. He needed to know what the state of the Empire was before he went to Ilirea. He had to know what he was walking into. The dragon would go back to Vroengard just fine without him. Right now, Florina needed her husband. Maybe he would be able to pull her out of the magic, just as he had been able to before. Besides Kuldra, he was the only one able to do so. And if she did have the rose, then his influence might help it along. He just hoped that his children would be safe if his presence did trigger a memory about them. He didn't need them turning on their allies. Delinnëa did not need that. As for Oromis, there was no telling what would happen and whether or not he was alive.

* * *

"I do not think we can help her, Eragon." Vanir said as they walked through the fields that served as home to the displaced elves.

"Something has to snap her out of it. She knows I care deeply for her and will think that I am just saying it so I do not blame her for what has happened."

"Yes, that may be. But how will hearing the same thing from me going to be different?"

"Because she thinks she had failed her people. She was chosen as queen at the end of the last war. She was found when she wanted solitude. Florina lived among you for a long while yet before moving to Vroengard and the two became fast friends. We both know that Arya can do what needs to be done, but I don't think she was prepared for it to be someone as close to her as Florina is."

"But what do I say?" Vanir asked. Eragon shrugged.

"It's got to come from your heart and be true." Eragon finally said after a few minutes of silence. "She needs to know that she has not failed your people."

"Is that what she truly thinks?"

"I think it's part of it." Eragon said. "Will you help me in this?"

"I will try." Vanir swore. Eragon nodded. That would have to be good enough for now.

* * *

Florina looked at the door in front of her. These doors had been locked since the end of the last war. There had to be something in here that would tell her what was happening to her. She needed to know. Kuldra had told her that she suspected that there might be two spells fighting for control. If that was true, then there was no guarantee that her memories were truth. What if her father had actually been evil? Did she truly fight against him? There was so much doubt that she wasn't sure if sending the Riders to Vroengard was the right thing to do. But the decision hadn't come lightly either. A week before Murtagh had returned, the Rider from Terim returned. Both Rider and Dragon were injured. They had barely been able to tell her that it was another Rider before they died. It had to be the Rider who was related to Stronghammer and Eragon. He had to be in charge now that Arya and Eragon were both in the valley.

Florina shook the thoughts from her mind and raised her hands, one holding her dagger. She made a neat slice on her palm and smeared her blood on the door. "Open by this blood that I share with the king. Open these doors by order of the queen. I will see what he has kept hidden here. Open!" She said in the ancient language. She kept her hand pressed against the door until it fell open under her hand. She stumbled in and barely caught her balance on a nearby chair. The door closed behind her.

 _"I have been waiting for you, Daughter of Galbatorix."_

* * *

 **So, any guesses as to who has been waiting? hehehe. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Answers

**'Tis a heart of hearts, but not his. hehehe Enjoy!**

* * *

"Show yourself?" Florina demanded as she drew her sword. "How did you get in here? These doors have been sealed for centuries."

 _"I know they have been sealed."_ The voice was female, Florina could tell that much at least as Kuldra joined her mind. _"I am the one who sealed the doors to keep your father's secrets from becoming common knowledge."_

"Show yourself."

 _"The window."_ The voice sighed. Florina looked and saw a pedestal with a cushion on it. On the cushion was a single Eldunarí

"You're an Eldunarí."

 _"I am. My name is Jarnunvösk. I was your father's dragon before Shruikan."_

 _ **"Jarnunvösk?"**_ Kuldra cut in privately. _**"Can it truly be?"**_

 _ **"I'm not sure."**_

 _"Why do you doubt me?"_

 _"We were told you were killed. There was no mention of your Eldunarí being rescued or saved."_ Kuldra said to the long dead dragon.

 _"My Rider did not know that I had disgorged my heart of hearts. Not until he found me on Vroengard. It was something that I felt I had to do before we left on that trip. I put my Eldunarí in the hands of the elders, making them promise to tell Galbatorix of my act should something happen to me. When your father finally returned to the island and was to go before the council, I begged them to tell him of me and that I was not truly gone. I listened to the hearing and when I was not revealed to him, I turned from the Riders. The elders tried to tell me that they had only promised to tell him if he was not a threat to himself or others and that his madness in demanding another dragon was evidence of that. I did not give them aid in the war and I am not sorry for it. I am sorry that it had to be your blade that took him."_

"How did you get here?"Florina said.

 _"When my Rider invaded Vroengard, he found me among the Eldunarí that had not been hidden. I had hidden myself from the Riders so I would not be taken from him again. I made sure I was among the first he found. He was overjoyed when we were reunited and I helped him the best that I could during the war two hundred years ago."_

"So, you know what my father did to me then, if he placed a spell on me."

 _"He didn't place a spell on you per se. He placed a spell on his blood which you share. It is called blood magic. He did it to ensure that his line would reign forever. He knew that his time was nearing an end and would leave you alone among your enemies."_

"My…enemies…allies?"Florina clutched her head in her hands and moaned in pain as it started to pound.

 _"I tried to talk him out of it, but he had become mad with desperation to preserve his rule upon the throne through you."_

 _ **"Brave One, are you well?"**_

 _ **"I don't know. Everything is starting to get jumbled in my head."**_ Florina sat on the couch and rested her elbows on her knees, keeping her eyes closed. Kuldra turned to the Eldunarí

 _"What is wrong with her? Do two spells work on her?"_

 _"I do not know if there are two spells working on her. All I can tell is that her heart is fighting her head. That being said, it falls upon you to find the truth."_

 _"Truth about what?"_

 _"As her partner, you have known that her heart fights her head. It has been happening to you and until she discovers the truth will you know the truth. If you, as her dragon and partner-of-heart-and-mind cannot discover the truth, she will become madder than her father ever was and that will be dangerous for all."_

 _"Do two spells work on her?"_ Kuldra roared. _"You will tell me."_

 _"No spell works on her except that of the blood magic. And with her it should stay. My Rider should not have done this to her. I told him that it would drive her to madness if she were to ever get confused about the truth. Whatever her truth is, I know not. So it falls to you to find it and share it with her. Tell her if it is her mind or her heart that is truth."_

 _"I do not know the truth either. My mind is as jumbled as hers is."_

 _"Then she and her human born descendants will go mad with this spell!"_ Jarnunvösk cried. _"I have been trying for years to find a way to undo this spell my Rider has wrought. It has taken me this long to realize that the elders were right in their judgement to keep me from him. I am not sorry for my actions that got me back to him, but his actions during the war_ are _my fault for I should have stopped him. Just as you are her conscious, I was supposed to be his. Help your Rider. Find the truth."_

 _"But don't you know it? Why don't you know it?"_ Kuldra asked desperately. _"You said you helped him in his war."_

 _"Yes, I helped him. But I did not watch you and her while you were in this castle. It is here that her truth splits. It is here that you must find the right truth. You know what I speak of, Kuldra. Now, I must pass on. Now that you have found the beginning of his madness, you can destroy the texts and ensure the same does not happen again. These must be destroyed. And so must I. When she comes to, tell her what I have done to the texts and to myself, but do not tell her what I have asked of you until you are sure of it yourself."_

Florina barely saw the flash of light from the window as she lay on the couch, clutching her head. She had not heard a word of the conversation between the dragons except for some yelling that she couldn't make out. Memories were vying for dominance in her mind. When the light was gone, Kuldra could not feel the mind of the other dragon. She focused her attention on her Rider and created soothing images and brought forth memories of them flying together. Florina seemed to calm and her breathing became steady as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

The two Dragon Riders looked at the assembled dragons. They were blocking them from crossing the ocean. Every time they tried, the dragons would block them using their bodies and fire. They were wild dragons who seemed intent on protecting Vroengard and the Riders there. That meant that the Riders there had no clue that they were about to be invaded and forced to serve the queen or die. It wasn't the concern of the wild dragons. The man who had tried to kill them off before was dead and the queen has declared that she would not do the same. But their children had been given to the Riders, most of which resided on the island. That would be the only reason Edan and Murtagh could think of; the dragons' children were on the island as bound dragons.

"What do we do?" Edan asked Murtagh. "We can't exactly go back to her and tell her that dragons blocked our way to the island."

"Is there another way to the island?"

"No. There is a barrier around the island that requires a special flight pattern. It was put up when Florina left and was considered kidnapped. One way in and one way out which begins and ends at this point, the shortest distance to the island. If we try to get around these dragons, we will not make it to the island. It was actually Florina's idea and is her enchantment which Lifaen activated."

"If I am following your logic correctly, that means that if any of them were thinking to invade the Empire, they would have to leave through this same enchantment." Murtagh said. Edan nodded.

"We might have enough time to call for help." Edan pulled out the mirror from his pocket. "Two dozen may not be enough to deal with wild and bound dragons. She must have forgotten about this enchantment."

"And you forgot to mention it. This falls on you."

"I did not forget. Had these dragons not been here, then I would have led you all through the maze and to the island." Edan looked at the mirror and said the spell. Murtagh watched the dragons. When he had taken Florina from the island, no such enchantment had been there. It made sense when he thought about. She had been taken. They had been stolen from without even realizing it. Of course they would need another element of protection after that.

* * *

"Majesty." A voice called to her. She didn't want to move. Her head was killing her. She just wanted to stay in the darkness that was soothing to her. "Majesty, please, you must come to your study." She felt a mind brush against hers. It wasn't Kuldra's, but someone else's. It was another Rider. It seemed odd to her that she was being referred to as a royal. Why was that? She didn't take the throne from Galbatorix. It had been given to Nasuada. Unless that had all been a dream and he had won and she was now queen. But where was he? He was a Rider. "Majesty, Edan calls for you. There is a problem with your plan." Her plan. That didn't make sense either. What plan could she have that involved this Edan person. She didn't remember him.

 _ **"Brave One, are you well?"**_

 _ **"Kuldra?"**_

 _ **"Yes, Brave One. The magic of your enemy worked on you to the point that it was driving you mad. I protected you, but now you must do your duty as the queen. You sent an invasion to Vroengard."**_

 _ **"But Vroengard is poisoned…no. It's inhabited by Riders who defy me."**_ Florina opened her eyes to see the Rider standing over her with a cup of water. Florina sat up and accepted the cup of water. "What is wrong?" Florina asked, standing. The Rider smiled and bowed.

"Edan calls for you, Majesty. Something about a blockade."

Florina nodded and strode out of her father's rooms, the events of the past several hours coming back to her. it was dark outside and she figured Kuldra had let her sleep until she was calm and in her right mind again. Jarnunvösk had not helped and Florina had noticed the texts were missing and so was the Eldunarí. Florina would talk to Kuldra about that later.

The queen entered her study and turned to the mirror where the faces of her brother and her third-in-command waited.

"What do you have to report?" She asked. Edan turned the mirror and a large amount of dragons filled hers. She scowled as he turned the mirror back to face him. "Are they bound?"

"It does not seem like it, Majesty." Edan said. "Every time we try to fly across, they stop us. They must be protecting their bound offspring on the island."

"Is there another way?"

"No. When I left, an enchantment had been placed that allowed for only one way in and one way out at the shortest distance across from the mainland. If we try to fly around these dragons, we will not make it to Vroengard."

"We can stay here and prevent an invasion. But our forces may not be enough." Murtagh cut in.

"I only sent two dozen of you. If we are invaded and the wild dragons join in the attack, your numbers will not be enough. No, I will not waste lives needlessly. Come back to Ilirea. They are bound to come here soon enough and they will think to strike at me directly and not at my people. Here, we will have the forces necessary to hold them off if not defeat them. I expect you by sundown in two days." She ended the spell and turned from the mirror and sat at her desk to look at the maps. _**"What happened to Jarnunvösk and the texts, Kuldra?"**_

* * *

 **We are nearing the end of this fic. Will she live or will she die? Hmmmm, I haven't decided yet. Thoughts?**


	9. Memories of Family

**speirr: that is an interesting idea and one that actually speaks to Florina's character. Whether or not it will happen is yet to be determined, but I kinda like the idea. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I am looking forward to seeing how this may change your opinion. ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Nëa paced the study while she waited for her father. She needed his advice. She needed to know what her mother would do now. There had been no new news about her mother's movements. They had no idea what she was doing or what she was preparing for. She had heard a few days ago that Riders tried to come from the mainland but the wild dragons had kept them from crossing the ocean. They had left shortly afterwards and nothing had been seen since. All it told Delinnëa was that her mother was preparing for something and she needed to know what. She entertained the thought of reaching out to her uncle again for his spies, but she doubted he wanted to talk to her after her last suggestion.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she called for them to enter. She looked up, expecting to see her father. Instead, Elva was standing in her door.

"What is it, Elva? Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not. We've looked everywhere, but we cannot find him."

"Find who?"

"Your father, Nëa. He's gone. We checked the house he shared with your mother and he wasn't there. After that, we scoured the island. Unless he is hiding from us and blocking his mind, he is not on Vroengard. Some of the young dragons say they remember seeing him talking with a group of older dragons."

"The older dragons, the ones currently on the main land protecting the path from Florina's Riders." Nëa paused a moment. This was the first time she had used her mother's name when talking about her as an enemy. She had refused to do that. "Have you tried scrying him?" Delinnëa asked, pouring water into a basin and calling on her magic. She said the spell before Elva could answer her, focusing on her father. The water stayed black a moment before turning white with him on the background. He was standing and talking to someone, but she couldn't see who nor where. Then he was walking and she thought she saw Riders she knew. She let the spell go and moved so Elva could try. The older Rider frowned, confirming Delinnëa's fear. "He's gone to Ilirea."

"It would appear so." Elva answered. "I cannot say for sure if he has already met with the queen, but it seems that it may be his intention to do so. Why would he do that? I've known Lord Lifaen for a long while and he never seemed the one to turn on his allies."

"He hasn't turned on his allies, at least it doesn't seem so to me." Nëa said. "To me it seems that he is going to try to end this himself. He is going to try to bring mother back to us. And, if in failing that, he'll do what needs to be done."

"But how does he plan to do that?"

"Do you remember the witch, Angela?"

"I do. She cared for my namesake. Elva the Silverbrow."

"Right. She examined my blood and found it protected by dragon magic. The same dragon magic that is in my mother because of her Rider bond with Kuldra, a bond that has now been tainted by the blood magic because it has become such an integral part of them. She, at her first Blood-oath celebration, during the war, my father gave my mother a rose. She was wearing it when the dragon's touched her and uncle. But it was also that night that he made his love for her known. It has that memory. Angela believes that if she is given the rose by someone who she trusts once it has been touched again by the dragons, that the truth will break through with the help of the dragon magic. Father remembered where she had hidden the rose in the elven capital city and it was there we had been keeping it when we were attacked. He went to get the rose from the armory and also grabbed her old sword to use. I pulled him out and that's when we lost the rose. We assume that she has it."

"Could it be tied to his presence?" Elva asked. Delinnëa looked at the portrait of her parents. It was a fairth that one of the elves had made after the war while the two had still lived in Du Weldenvarden. If she remembered the story right, Arya had actually done it after she had been told that the two had joined themselves. It had been a present on the day they had established Vroengard as the Riders' home. The look in her father's eyes in that fairth said everything to their daughter. He would do whatever he could to save his wife and his family, even if it meant killing her to spare his children the pain of having to do it themselves.

"He might believe that this rose is tied to his presence as a golden rose whose petals are lined in white can only be found in one place."

"And that place would be?"

"My parents' home. Aside from the one that is now in her possession, she kept the others in the house I grew up in. He gave them to her all the time, especially when she was afraid. When I was little, I didn't know what she was afraid of. I put one in my hair one time and walked with my back straight as a board to keep it from falling out." Delinnëa laughed at the memory. "I didn't know mother had been watching me until it fell out of my hair. I was so frightened that I would be in trouble. But she was smiling as she secured it into my hair, making sure that part it was in was tied back enough to hold it. She never asked for it back. She told me it would stay with me no matter what happened to me when I wore it." Elva smiled. "What?"

"I know of that rose. My mother told me of it. Lifaen had given it to Florina before she left to return to the Varden before the Battle of the Burning Plains. Through all the fighting and the tortures that she endured, she never lost that rose. She would sometimes wear it around here and I never saw it fall from her head like others would." Elva placed a hand on the young Rider's shoulder. "Don't worry, Nëa, we'll get them back. All three of them. We'll get them back safe and sound and your mother will be herself again."

"But what if we can't, Elva? What if we have to kill Mom because there is no way to bring her from this madness? What if she finds out what Dad is trying to do? Oromis could already be dead."

"Then you honor them in the only way you can and that us remembering them as you just did your mother now. You remembered her laughing and giving you something precious. You keep that with you and let it give you strength. Strength that you will need to lead these Rider's to the end of this war. They are looking to you instead of the oldest among them."

"Right," Delinnëa breathed and looked at the portrait again.

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know or do I have to force it from you?" She asked the young Rider as she sat in her chair. It had been her father's that he had used when watching the torture of Nasuada. She had sat in it once or twice to watch while he worked and had sat in it more now that she was the one doing the torturing. The Rider didn't answer and she sighed in frustration. He was well skilled in keeping his mind blocked and seemed to be reciting some lullaby which helped his concentration. It was an admirable effort, but one that would fail. "I see. Well, since torture at the hands of Murtagh has not loosened your tongue, I must resort to more drastic measures."

Florina got to her feet, pulling on her metal glove and walked up to the Rider. She raised her hand.

"Majesty," she frowned as the voice of a Rider reached her ears. She lowered her hand.

"You know the rules."

"I know, but there is an elf here who wants to see you. He claims that he has information but he refuses to speak to any but you."

 _ **"Why would an elf come here? They should all be hiding since I took the forest."**_

 _ **"Who knows their reasons?"**_ Kuldra said. _**"But be careful. He could be planning to trick you and either kill you or steal you away."**_

 _ **"I know."**_

Florina ripped off her glove and threw it on the chair and hurried out of the dungeons. She was handed her sword and she belted it on while giving orders that she would speak to the elf alone in her study. There was no need to have an audience. Besides, if this was to be a fight, she wanted it to herself. It had been a while since she had had a good fight.

As she waited, she fixed her hair, making sure it was tight in its leather tie. The door opened and an elf with hair as dark has hers and eyes that looked like the sea. She knew him. He was the same elf that she had seen in her vision with the two half elves. He didn't wear a sword. She figured it must have been taken when he entered the castle. It meant that they thought he was a threat. She looked him up and down, trying to determine if he was indeed a threat. His mind wasn't guarded and it made her suspicious.

"Why have you come?" She asked in the ancient language.

"I have come to be with my wife."

* * *

 **Hehehehehe, yes, I have had this planned for a little while now, it was just getting it written. Thanks for reading and please review :)**


	10. The Greatest Power of All

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"And just who is your wife?" Florina asked in the ancient language. Lifaen had feared this, but couldn't think of anything to say that would still be close to the truth. He could also see a reaction in her dark eyes.

"A Rider." He finally answered in the ancient language. "She was born human but has been changed to something more than she was." It wasn't a lie per say. She had been changed by Kuldra in the years they had been bonded.

"What is her name?"

"I do not know the name she uses now. All I know is that I should be at her side." It was getting hard to keep up the facade that she wasn't his wife.

"How does she serve me?" The queen asked. She was still in the ancient language and it was getting hard to think of half truths to tell her.

"The best she can." He said. Right now, the way he saw it, the queen was using his wife's body to rule the land and her people. She frowned.

"What is the color of her dragon?" Florina asked, still in the ancient language. There was nothing for it now. She would figure out the truth now. The game was over.

"Gold," he said. "She rides a gold dragon." Lifaen tried to take a deep breath as the pieces clicked into place for his wife. "Yes, you are my wife. We lived on Vroengard together. We loved each other. It was the only bright piece of your imprisonment, our marriage. I was your guard when you lived in the clearing and I fell in love with you and you fell in love with me. We married in the way elves do, took each other as mates. We couldn't do it in the human way because Eragon and Arya would have frowned upon it and had us both killed to prevent us from having any children who would carry your blood that your father tied to his throne." Lifaen had no idea if what he was saying was the truth to her. But he made sure his intent was clear, as well as his love. He didn't mean her any harm and he loved her. Hopefully she was getting that from his words.

"Say I believe you." She said, slipping out of the ancient language. "What made you think to come here? Why should I believe that you would rather be with me than one of your kind?" She drew her sword and pointed it at him. He held up his hands and took a step back. She stepped around the desk and rested the tip on his collar bone. "Why should I believe that you are willing to betray your own queen just to be with me?" She hissed.

"Because it is the truth." He said. "I have come to be with you and make sure that you are safe." He looked into her eyes, trying to see the love in her eyes that he had spent two centuries seeing everyday. It wasn't there now. She was walling herself off from feeling. She didn't want to trust him. He didn't blame her. What he knew to be the truth wasn't the truth for her anymore. He couldn't just come out and tell her the truth. She wouldn't believe it because of the tricks the blood magic was playing on her mind. He knew he would have to go slow with her, try to get her to fall in love with him again. Slowly, he unbuckled his sword and threw it at her feet, a gesture meaning that he meant her no harm. Last time, they had fallen in love quickly. He had at least, from the moment he met her and talked to her that first night in Ceris. She had taken some convincing, but had fallen in love quickly. This time, he would have to earn her trust, and then her love. Before Delinnëa followed him and attacked the city.

* * *

"Which one of you took him?" Delinnëa asked the assembled dragons. She had no control over them, of course, but she had to know. If she knew who had taken her father across the sea, maybe she could figure out why he had gone in the first place. "Is the one who took Lifaen to Alagaësia among you? If so, I must speak with you." Finally, an amethyst dragon stepped forward.

 _"I took your father to the mainland. He said he intended to save his beloved from the spell that holds her captive. I would have taken him to the gates of Ilirea after I had rested from the flight across the ocean. But he was gone by the time I woke."_

 _"He said he intended to save the Golden Rider?"_ Evaríyna asked. _"How does he intend to do that?"_

 _"He did not share his plan with me."_ The dragon said. _"He only asked for passage. I took him because I sensed the truth within him that he did not mean to turn on you. That he is trying to save your mother from herself and the spell that was placed upon her."_ He said to Delinnëa.

She nodded and turned to look towards the castle. Both of her parents were now in harm's way if she decided to attack the city in order to get to her mother. Her uncle was refusing to help and her brother was still missing. His body had not been found in the forest and neither had Glaedr's. She had tried scrying them several times and had seen nothing. It could mean nothing and that he was hiding and nursing their wounds. But she feared that he had been captured and possibly killed. The werecats had yet to give her uncle any information about prisoners aside from Angela. She had gone to try to gain Florina's trust and now she was in the dungeons. What chance was there that her father would succeed where Angela, a woman who has known her mother her entire life, had failed.

"Thank you." She said to him and he turned to return to his fellows. He stopped and lowered his head to the child's level.

 _"Have hope, Child. There are forces in this world stronger than even Shade magic."_

* * *

Oromis opened his eyes, breaking his recitation of the lullaby his mother had often sung to him and his sister when they were children. His father's mind had entered his field of consciousness. What was his father doing here and where was Delinnëa? It had been so long since he had felt either of their minds that was wasn't sure he would have remembered them if not for the lullaby and the memories that came with them. He was trying to keep those from his mother. There was no telling what she would do if she learned the truth. He could see that she was becoming unstable. The blood magic was tearing her mind apart. Soon, it would be merciful if they killed her. Delinnëa would never forgive him for thinking that. It would be even worse if he were to one to strike the blow. He had tried to get his mother to safety and had failed. Instead, he had been captured and tortured at the hands of his uncle. Now, his own mother was torturing him for information on how to save her. He couldn't look into her eyes for fear that he would break. If he looked into her eyes, he wouldn't be able to lie to her any longer. He would do whatever it took to save her, even if that meant telling her the truth about who she really was.

It was hard to be strong without Glaedr with him. They had been separated since they had been captured by Murtagh. He knew it was to keep him weak. Without Glaedr, he wasn't whole. He was missing a piece of himself that only Glaedr would be able to fill. Not even having his mother back would heal him if something happened to his dragon along the way. He was told that most dragons and Rider's went mad and died when their partners died. There was tell of one Rider who had survived the death of his dragon. He had set the rebellion in motion by founding the Varden before going into hiding. He had then trained his mother and uncle while they traveled together. Would Oromis become like him? Or would he become like the others who have gone mad with loss and take his own life? There was so much uncertainty surrounding him that he didn't know how things would turn out and was glad that he did not have Angela's gift of fortune reading. Knowing the future would be just as bad as not knowing, maybe worse.

The Rider turned his thoughts back to his father. His parents were in the same place once again and his mother was in trouble. What would his father do? Did he come here to turn on them all? No, he wouldn't do that. Lifaen loved his wife too much to follow in her delusion. He would save her from it or kill her so she would no longer be troubled by it. It was something that Oromis knew he couldn't do. He would never be able to raise a sword against his mother. For Delinnëa, it would be worse as mother and daughter had been closer than mother and son had been. She would never be able to kill the woman who ruled over the Empire, not without feeling so much guilt that she would soon take her own life or give in to her own madness.

 _"Such is the power of love I guess."_ Oromis thought, hoping that Glaedr would hear and finally be able to respond.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading and please review.**


	11. From the Heart

Florina looked at the sword on the ground. The hard leather that looked gold was familiar to her. It was the sword she had seen in her vision. Silver vines and flowers decorated the mouth and wound to the middle of the sheath. She turned her attention to the hilt. The silver was wrought in a vine pattern that cupped around the hand when she held it, guarding it from blades that ran the length of. She picked it up, taking her Naegling from the elf's neck so she could sheath it. The queen drew the sword and a soft ring filled the air. The blade was gold instead of the iron she had left it as. A single vein of silver wrapped around the part of the blade close to the hilt. Yes, this was the sword from her vision before she began her war. She had made it in defense of the Riders' honor when she had been training with Oromis. Vanir had thought Eragon to be the new leader of the Riders and Eragon had been crippled at the time. Vanir, Eragon said he had been bitter because Saphira had chosen a weak human and since the dragons were only a month or two apart, it had been hard to tell which was the older and Eragon had been Brom's student first. It had been assumed that Eragon and Saphira were the older pair.

She shook her head and looked at the elf. He was where he had been the entire time. She had been distracted and he had done nothing to harm her. Why? She had so many questions and she couldn't understand it at all. She sheathed the other sword and kept it in her hand as she called in her two guards and ordered them to take the elf to the dungeons below. They bowed and the elf was gone. Florina walked back around her desk and fell into her chair, looking at the sword.

 _ **"Brave One?"**_ Kuldra asked.

 _ **"This was supposed to have been taken from him at the gate."**_ Florina answered, meaning the sword. _**"I even missed it."**_

 _ **"Do not be hard on yourself or those who serve you. The elves have powerful magic. He must have let go of the spell after he entered and you focused on his face and not his waist. What about the memory that sword is bringing?"**_

 _ **"You mean the honor of the Riders? It is strange. It felt...right."**_

 _ **"What do you mean?"**_ Kuldra asked as Florina locked the sword away in her private trunk. She didn't need anyone else to try to find it and get rid of it. She walked out of the study and towards the dragon hold. She didn't answer Kuldra's question right away. She was still trying to piece it together herself. Not to mention that she didn't need other Riders trying to find her mind while she was sorting out her feelings and learning something they didn't need to know. The queen saddled her dragon and the two took to the skies. _**"What do you mean that it felt right, Brave One?"**_

 _ **"Before, when I remembered my time among the elves, I remember fighting for the honor of the Riders, but it had seemed a mockery. This time, the mockery had not been there. When I remembered this, it felt like I was truly fighting for the Riders against my father. But that doesn't make sense. If I was my father's agent, why would I do that? And when I think about it, I know I had plenty of opportunity to tell him where the elven cities were and how to get past their barriers, but I never told him. It feels like there are two truths for a single event and I cannot tell which is a lie."**_

 _ **"Jarnunvösk mentioned that your head is fighting your heart and it is affecting me. But, if this new memory feels right, is it coming from your heart or your mind?"**_

 _ **"Father said that memories could be changed if the magician knew what he was doing. Elves have some of the strongest magic around. But why would they change my memories?"**_

 _ **"Who says that the elves did this to you? Your father placed a Shade spell on his blood, the same blood that runs through your veins. It could be that spell that is changing your memories."**_

 _ **"So what do I trust? Me head or my heart?"**_

* * *

He didn't bother to catch himself as he was thrown into the dungeon and left there. What he was concerned about was the fact that she had listened to him. He had seen her in the dark eyes of her father. He had seen the woman he had fallen in love with. The sword had sparked a memory, one that she connected with him he hoped. When the time was right, he would start giving her the flowers again. But until then, he had to be patient and trust that her heart would win over her head and force out the blood magic that had taken root. She had to see that he was telling her the truth when he did reveal it to her. Maybe she would even see through the lies he had been forced to tell and remember when they had met in Ceris and when he had given her the first flower.

He looked around the cell. It was small, made for only one person. The bars were one wall, with a door in them. Otherwise, he was surrounded by stone. He sighed and sat in the corner that faced the door.

"What are you doing here?" Angela's voice carried to him. the elf looked across his cell to the one across the hall. Angela was standing at the bars, looking at him. He had been told that she had been captured. It was right after the fight in Ellesméra that word had come from Eragon about it. Her companion had made it to the valley and told Eragon and Arya.

"Same thing you are." Lifaen answered the witch. "Trying to bring Florina back to us."

"She threw me in here the moment she saw me. What makes you think you can get through to her?"

"I told her some of the truth and some lies." He answered.

"Oh do tell." She sneered.

"I told her that I was her husband and that I have come to serve her. I even brought her sword that she made in Ellesméra with me. She has it now, but having something associated with me might help bring her to the truth, the one that we all know."

"And what memory are you starting her with?"

"During her training, she had fought an elf over the honor of the Riders. He broke her sword, but she had still beaten him. She had made another sword while among my people and it is that sword that I brought with me. It was those few days that Kuldra learned that I love her Rider. A truth for the two of them in a sense."

"And what do you hope it gets you? More audience time with the queen?"

"I hope it earns me her trust." Lifaen answered. "Trust enough that I can show her the flower for what it is. A symbol of my love for her."

"So you know that it is here then." Lifaen nodded and Angela flopped down next to the bars. "What a pair we make, Lifaen." She laughed. "Both of us love Florina and are here trying to help her, yet we are both in her dungeons." Lifaen smiled, bringing to the front the memories of his life when it was just him and Florina.

* * *

"He did what?" Arya's voice echoed through the halls of the castle. Vanir had managed to get Arya out of her rooms, though whether or not the guilt was gone was still to be seen. Delinnëa had just reported that Lifaen had gone to Ilirea alone. Vanir and Eragon flinched at the yell. It was obvious she had thought Lifaen would stay on Vroengard and let the Riders handle this matter.

"He went to try to save Mother." Delinnëa answered the queen.

"I know that. But why?" Arya said through gritted teeth. "The fool knows that the blood magic has changed her memories. Who is to say that she won't kill him the moment he steps in front of her."

"According to the dragons, he believes that he can bring her out of the grip of the blood magic. Though, if he can't, I fear that he may do what I know I won't be able to do." The young Rider answered. "I think we need to ride upon Ilirea and take the throne back. We need to isolate her and try to find a way to keep her sane while we-"

"No," Eragon interrupted. "If we isolate her, we will be no better than Murtagh and Galbatorix. They isolated her when she needed her family the most. That is what drove her to this madness in the first place. If we are to save her, we need to surround her with those that love her. Her family. Lifaen most of all. If this plan with the rose is to work, it needs to come from the one who gave it to her. That rose and the memories associated with it are tied to his presence, if I understand Angela's logic right."

"And if we sack Ilirea now, she will think that he went to her as a distraction for you and whatever work he has accomplished will be lost." Vanir counseled.

"She has already tried to invade the island." Delinnëa countered. "The only reason her Riders didn't make it across the ocean is because of the wild dragons that are sitting on the shore. The Black Queen was not with them. Next time, she might be and she just may have the strength to break the barriers around Vroengard and they can bypass the dragons altogether. I cannot take that chance. Mother wouldn't. I am fighting a war that you have started for me. I have to fight it the only way I know how."

"Delinnëa, think about what you are saying. If you fly into battle against the queen, you _will_ lose." Arya said.

"It can't be helped now. My brother is missing. My father has gone on what could be a fool's mission. Angela's plan has failed. And the two of you refuse to help. I have to do this the way my mother would want me to. I am the daughter of the Golden Rider. It is time I start acting like it."

"Delinnëa," Eragon tried before the mirror was showing their reflections. He screamed in frustration as he sat in his chair. "Florina was just as stubborn." He mumbled. Arya and Vanir stood on the other side of the desk.

"We can't let her fight this alone." Vanir said. "She doesn't stand a chance against he Black Queen. I was hard-pressed to stand against her before the two of you were changed by the dragons."

"If I remember correctly, you still lost even after you broke her blade." Eragon said.

"I'll go." Arya volunteered. "Maybe I can get her to back down from a full-blown attack."

 _"And if you can't?"_ Saphira cut into the conversation.

"Then I make sure to kill Florina before either Lifaen or Delinnëa are forced to."

"I will gather our people." Vanir said and moved towards the doors.

"No," Arya said. "This is a Rider's war. I made a mistake letting you fight them. I'm not going to do it again. I will lead the elves that are Riders. Maybe that will make up for the past."

* * *

 **Getting close to the end. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	12. Meetings and Memories of Family

**Reviewer Response: I love your idea of having Eragon fight his sister, however, I have decided to stay true to Angela's fortune reading and since he has left Alagaesia, he must stay away. But, I promise, Lifaen and Delinnea will not be fighting her. hehehe**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Blood splattered her face as the Rider fell to her feet. She had been taking her anger out on him since the elf had arrived. The elf was a mystery she couldn't figure out. He had come to her, claiming to be her husband, but she would remember if she had taken a husband, or mate as he called it. He had been her warden. A warden that had fallen in love with their prisoner. If that were the case, why hadn't he freed her before. Unless he had given his oath in the ancient language that he would forever guard her, until she died. She looked at the Rider at her feet. He refused to give her any information and he always tried his hardest not to look at her. she would remember him if they had a personal connection. Maybe he had a hard time keeping secrets if forced to lie. She would break him eventually. He had tried to capture her in the forest, Murtagh had told her. That information only told her that they didn't have the confidence that they could kill her. she would use that to her advantage.

"Majesty, an army has arrived on the plains. An army of Riders." A Rider interrupted her thoughts. "They have run up the white flag and wish to speak to you."

"Very well. Bring my blade to the dragon hold. Kuldra and I will go out to meet them."

"Yes, Majesty."

"And summon the Riders from the borders! I will not be defeated in my own castle."

* * *

Delinnëa shifted in Evarínya's saddle. Next to her, Garrow held the stick which the white flag was attached to. He and Dwerva were still.

 _"Be calm, Nëa. This is the first time you have confronted your mother and you need to do so as the leader of the Riders and not as her daughter. Do you understand that?"_

 _"I know what I have to do."_ Delinnëa snapped at her dragon. _"But I don't know if I can. That is the problem."_

 _"Do what you have to do, Nëa. You can do this. You are strong. You must demand her surrender and the end to this war. You are strong enough to do this."_ The concussion of dragon flaps drove down on their ears. From the sound of it, there were two dragons. Nëa placed a hand on the hilt of her sword. It was her father's. She had taken it to use after he had left and taken her mother's sword with him. Now that she had it, Lifaen was defenseless should he get free. Delinnëa took a deep breath and placed her hands in her lap. Garrow looked at her and nodded. He was older than her as both a Rider and a living person. He was one of the first to become a Rider after Galbatorix had died. In fact, Dwerva had hatched for him first when his father had visited Arya who had been ferrying the eggs across the Empire. At that point, Florina and Lifaen had still been working to restore Vroengard. Garrow should be the one negotiating the queen's surrender, not her. _"Be strong."_

The gold dragon she knew well landed feet from them followed by a maroon one that she didn't know. She guessed this had to be Edan, the Rider who had been missing and whose loyalties had been questioned. Until now. He had to have been a prisoner at first. Like Angela. Like Alia, Naridan, and Riflen. Sila and Cobalt as well. They needed them back. And Lifaen. They needed Florina to surrender and give Nadara back the throne. It was the only way for this to end peacefully.

Kuldra's head snaked into the air before moving enough to reveal Florina's face. Her dark eyes were cold and it made Delinnëa shiver as she remembered the coldness that she had seen when she asked about her grandfather. It was something she should never have done. The coldness was accented by the blood splattered across the queen's face. Delinnëa took a deep breath to steady herself as Florina and Edan climbed down from their dragons' saddles. She and Garrow did the same and the four of them walked to the middle ground. The dragons stayed behind but also in the minds of their Riders.

"You are bold to have sought an audience with me." Florina said once they were five feet apart. "You are bold to have come to my Empire at all knowing that I will not give you any mercy. But you have the white flag and that is the only thing saving you right now."

"Florina Selenasdaughter," Delinnëa started, fingering her necklace and remembering the woman who had raised her. "We have come for your surrender. If you do not surrender and release your prisoners and give the throne back to Nadara and her family, peacefully, then we will besiege your city and force you to surrender. If we must, then we _will_ kill you." Florina began laughing.

"This must be your first time negotiating in a war, Child." She laughed. The laugh sent a chill down Delinnëa's spine. "You have the confidence of a new kitten. You see the city behind me, it is defended by dozens of Riders that equal the number of Riders behind you. You are young. You do not have the training that the Riders at my command have. Surrender? You do not have what it takes to make me surrender to you." Florina turned to Garrow. "I have left your family and your people alone. Do not endanger them in this manner. The same goes for the Dwarves and the Urgals. This is a Rider's war, but if they stand against me as the elves did, they will suffer the same fate as the elves. I am not the one who started this war. That falls on you and the Riders you sent to kidnap my people. If anyone is to surrender, it will be you and we will negotiate a peace. And the first thing I ask is that you stand down and the Rider's under your command follow me. Any who resist will be dealt with appropriately. I'll give you until the morning to decide."

"I agree," Garrow said, "this is a Rider's war. It is a Rider's war started by your father decades ago. We will end this and save you and your people from your own madness and his." Florina's face wrinkled into a sneer.

"So, that is what you choose. Very well. You have chosen your fate." Florina turned on her heel and walked back to Kuldra. Delinnëa had to hold herself back from chasing after her mother as multiple wing beats sounded as Riders landed in the city. Kuldra took to the air, Kilana following, and the two flew back into the city. The image of her mother's bloodied face was now forever imprinted on the young Rider's mind. Now, she would have to fight her. She wasn't going to be able to fight her mother. She should never have taken her mother's place as leader of the Rider's.

* * *

Arya ended the spell with a shout of frustration. The city around her was empty. It was one of hers that had been abandoned when Florina had invaded Du Weldenvarden. Fírnen had need to stop to rest. Now they were too late to stop Delinnëa from riding out against her mother. Now Ilirea was besieged and the Riders of Vroengard were going to die because of the loss of hope.

Arya pulled the diamond laid flower from her pocket. She had taken it from Delinnëa's necklace one night before Florina had attacked them. Now she was glad she did. But it also served to remind her of her friend. Arya had given the pendant to her to keep her safe from Galbatorix. But it seemed he had gotten ahold of her anyway. Seeing the pendant also reminded Arya of the promise she had made when the twins were born. Florina had made her promise to watch after her children should something happen to her and Lifaen. Oromis was now missing and so she had failed in that. But there was still a chance to save Delinnëa.

 _"Come on, Fírnen. We have to get to Delinnëa before the fighting starts."_

Arya pocketed the pendant and jumped back into the dragon's saddle. Fírnen jumped into the air as Arya strapped herself in and tied her hair in its leather band, an accessory she hadn't worn in over two hundred years.

* * *

"How long did you think this ruse would last, Elf?" Florina spat as she knocked him to the ground. "Did you honestly hope that you could keep me distracted long enough to let your _daughter_ defeat me." The elf got back to his feet, his chains rattling.

"I did not come here as a distraction." He said, slipping into the ancient language.

"Your people can twist the truth." She said and kicked his knees, angered that he wasn't even defending himself. He had been found as a spy. "The sad thing for you is, Lifaen, is that your precious daughter is going to die." She knelt next to his bloody face and whispered. "And it is going to be your fault. Delinnëa will die because _you_ chose to come here instead of keeping her where she would be safe." Florina stood. "Put him in a tower. Make sure he can watch the bloodshed that follows." Two Riders picked up the beaten elf and dragged him away. She scowled. He hadn't even fought back. _**"Well, his daughter will pay the price."**_ She told Kuldra as she began walking towards her rooms to change. She was still bloody from the interrogation before the negotiation and now she had more on her from the beating she had just given the elf.

 _ **"I thought you wanted their loyalty."**_ Kuldra answered.

 _ **"Mamma!"**_

"Who's there?" Florina spun, drawing her sword.

 _ **"Mamma, look!"**_ Florina spun again, looking for the child whose voice was in her mind.

 _ **"Brave One?"**_ Kuldra's voice.

 _ **"What are you trying to do, fly like a dragon?"**_ A woman's voice answered. Florina spun in the hall again, looking for mother and child. No one was in the hall with her.

 _ **A green meadow sprawled out before her. Dragons and Riders were spread out across it. With her was her gold dragon. A five-year-old girl was climbing up the dragon's leg. She felt herself smile before turning back to the set of Riders before her. They had come to Vroengard five years ago, just after her children had been born. They still had a lot to learn before they received their Rider's blades.**_

 _ **"Mamma, look!" She looked back to her daughter. She and her brother looked so much like her except for one feature. They had their father's sea green eyes. The black-haired girl was standing on the dragon's snout, high in the air courtesy of the dragon. She waved her at mother and jumped from the dragon's head only to be caught, gently, by said dragon. She laughed at the pout as the child was placed in her waiting arms. She adjusted the girl so she was on her hip.**_

 _ **"What are you trying to do, fly like a dragon?" She heard herself say. The little girl laughed with her and she turned back to the Riders she was teaching, her daughter still on her hip.**_

* * *

 **Just FYI, this last bit was a memory. This will be ending soon, just not sure how. Hmmm, Thanks for reading and please review.**


	13. The Rise of Leaders in Madness

Murtagh raced down the halls towards his sister's rooms. One of the others had mentioned that she had seemed unstable since the invasion of Du Weldenvarden. Ever since he had been gone with the captured Rider. He had left her alone to be influenced away from what needed to be done. But she was surrounded by her followers. How could she have been influenced by her enemies? Sila and Cobalt didn't speak to her much, only when she approached them. It had to be something from the forest. It had to be. How could it not be? The timeline was too complete to be anything else.

The sound of a Rider's blade hitting stone made Murtagh hurry his steps. His queen, his sister, was in danger from an unknown source. Eragon would pay for his cowardice! He had sent something to Florina to make her doubt her instincts and what her father left for her.

Murtagh rounded the corner and found Florina crouched against the wall and clutching her head, Naegling was on the ground next to her. She was screaming in a different language, one that he didn't know, but had heard. The people of Kuasta had spoken the language of the Empire, but also had their own to speak to their gods when praying.

"Florina," he knelt next to her and touched her shoulder.

"Get away from me!" She screeched and clawed at him. "Just leave me alone!" He looked in her eyes as he grabbed hold of her wrists. They weren't cold and calm like he was used to seeing. Her dark eyes were full of madness and fear. He had never seen anything like that before. Not even her own father had had that look in his eyes when he had been alive. He imagined it was something similar to what would happen should a Rider lose their dragon or vice versa. "Lifaen, where is Lifaen?" Murtagh picked up his sister and carried her to her rooms where he threw her on the bed. She didn't try to get away, but she didn't stop sobbing either. It would be best to leave her in her rooms until she was well again. But who knew how long that would take. Their enemy was on their doorstep and ready to attack should Florina not give in. He would check on her in a few hours. He placed a spell around her bed to keep her from leaving it. If she had gotten out, that meant she had used the Word and she was sane again. In the meantime, he meant to figure out what had caused this change and how he was going to reverse it.

 _You can't reverse magic._ His father's voice taunted him. The shade of his father had not left him alone since he had returned to the castle. He stayed quiet most of the time, but chose moments when Murtagh needed a clear head to speak and break his concentration. Murtagh ignored his father and picked up Naegling. Florina had won it during the war after her master had been killed. She had been changing then, beginning to fight against her father. He had kept that from her, that she had changed sides if only to protect the people whom she loved. It had happened, he guessed, in Du Weldenvarden when she had been training under Oromis and Glaedr. He remembered that he had killed them and then had to force Florina back to Urû'baen. She had taken the sword and left another in its place. The other sword. He hadn't seen it since that day. _The elves have had it since, my son. And there is now an elf in your sister's dungeons._

Murtagh hurried to the armory and searched for the gold sword that Florina had made during her time with the elves. If the elf had brought it with him and it had been confiscated, it would have been placed in the armory to keep it from him. The sword wasn't there. He breathed a sigh of relief that stopped suddenly. Sitting next to the daggers, on a black pillow, was a gold rose with white lined petals. She had had one in her hair when he had taken her from Vroengard. He had also seen one like it during the war. She had never been without it. When he had her in the castle in the north, he hadn't seen it at all. This one, this one had magic radiating off of it.

"I found it in Ellesméra." Florina's voice echoed in the silence. He turned to look at her. She had straightened her hair and tied it back, but there was still an echo of the madness in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me I had had one when we were in the north?"

"I thought it had been nothing."

"The witch says that an elf had given it to the woman he loved and that it had been kept in the armory for safety. Why would I have had one? And why does this one radiate with magic?"

 _This is your chance to get her back under your king's control. Tell her that it was used to control her. Tell her!_

"I don't know, Florina. It could be that this one was given for love and the one you pulled from your hair was meant to control you, to keep you from returning to yourself. Maybe they thought that if you saw more than one, you would guess it was just a flower native to the region.

 _Coward,_ his father mumbled.

"Perhaps," Florina whispered. She walked over to the flower. Murtagh waited for her to say something else, but she remained silent.

 _It is the flower that is sending her into this madness. Destroy it. Destroy it now! Save your sister and get back into the queen's good graces._

Florina picked up the flower and left. Murtagh watched her go and watched as she headed in the direction of the tower the elf had been placed in.

* * *

Delinnëa looked at the flower in her hand. It was the one her mother had worn through her war. Nëa had brought it with her to remind her why she was fighting. She needed to save her parents from Galbatorix. She was the only one left that could do it. But she had a problem. She had seen the people and how happy they were. Elva had mentioned that she had not seen this happiness in the people when she had been visiting Nadara. Palancar Valley was thriving in much the same way. She remembered her uncle telling her and Oromis that they were related to the people of Palancar Valley. Selena, her grandmother, had been born there. Her brother, Garrow, had had one son and had raised Eragon. Garrow's son, Roran, had been given a stewardship and the land of Palancar Valley to protect and govern. Roran had named his first son after his father and his daughter had been named after her grandmother, Ismira, Katrina's mother. Eragon had loved telling stories of Roran's attempt at romancing Katrina and then how they, and the people of Palancar Valley, got involved in the war.

 _"He also mentioned that the blood of Palancar, the deposed king, runs through the people of the valley, including your mother."_ Evarínya interrupted. _"Are you thinking of placing your extremely distant cousin on the throne?"_

 _"Well I can't exactly take the throne. That's how this whole mess got started."_ Delinnëa said to her dragon as she secured the flower in her hair. _"Galbatorix had stolen the throne and then never died. But, from what we've seen, he would be the best fit. Nadara and her family didn't do anything right by the people. I think they prosecuted more than protected because of Nasuada's law regarding magic. No, Nadara cannot be given back the throne."_

 _"You are becoming wise, Strong One. You are becoming a leader."_

 _"It wasn't something I ever wanted."_

 _"But a station you were meant for, nonetheless."_ The dragon said. _"Look at yourself and where you are. Look at who follows you. Garrow is one of the oldest Riders among your ranks, yet he defers to you. The wild dragons answered your inquiries without resistance. You are a born leader, Delinnëa. Nothing anyone says or does can change that. And when this is over, it will be you the Rider's look to for guidance."_

 _"What do you mean?"_ Evarínya didn't answer. _"Evarínya, what do you mean?"_

 _"I shouldn't be telling you, but I wasn't sworn to secrecy either. You were in a meeting with your uncle and Arya. Your father refused to be a part of it, I think it was when you were telling them about the flower. He told me that after this, he felt that they would have to leave Vroengard and never return. He felt that Florina would not be able to lead the Riders, not without fear of falling victim to the blood magic again. He told me that when they left, they would leave you to govern the Riders and make the decisions."_

 _"What about them? And the Riders would still need their new blades."_

 _"He didn't say."_ The dragon whispered.

 _"Mama loved the forest. Maybe they will hide there for the rest of their days. Or maybe they can go to the Valley and help uncle train the new Riders."_

Delinnëa stood from her cot and walked out of her tent and to the command tent. Arya had arrived last night and wanted to talk to her. Delinnëa guessed that she wanted to talk her out of this attack. That wasn't going to happen. She was committed to this now and nothing could stop it. She would save her mother or die in the process. She was the Leader of the Riders now, and she would do what needs to be done.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, and please review.**


	14. Memories of Love

Florina leaned against the door as she watched the elf and the elf watched her. She didn't know why, but she feared for him now that Murtagh had found the rose. Her nightmares and visions had started when she had brought the damn thing into the castle. Through the window, the sun was beginning to rise and the silence in the city was a tension waiting to snap. It had been agreed that the city would not be breached should there be a fight. Florina refused to put her people in danger. Would Murtagh care? He had become a Rider under her father while she had been a spy and learned the Rider ways among the elves. She looked at the rose cupped in her hand. She needed to know what it was for and why it had been in the armory.

"What is the significance of this rose, Lifaen? Why was it in the armory in Du Weldenvarden?"

"It is a token of love that an elf gave to his beloved days after arriving in Ellesméra." Lifaen said. "It was my way of showing my love for you when you were training under Oromis and Glaedr. I have given you dozens in the years that we have been together. I gave you the first one under the Menoa Tree when I had taken you for a tour of the city. You thanked me that night."

"Thanked you for what?" She looked at him. He could see that her defenses were started to fall. The true Florina was beginning to show through the madness of the blood magic. She was coming back. As long as he didn't lie to her now, he could maybe stop the fighting before it even began."

"You thanked me for not being afraid of you."

"Why would others have been afraid of me?"

"You have your father's eyes and to others, they must have been uneasy to look into."

"What did you see when you looked into my eyes?"

"What I've been seeing for years and hope to be able to see again…love. Your love for the world and for your people and for me." A smile tugged at her lips and she looked at the rose in her hand again.

"Why does this one radiate with magic?" She asked and looked at him. This was it. This was where the truth mattered and where he could not mess up otherwise everything was lost.

"I gave you that rose, the second one, the night of the Agaetí Blödhren. I escorted you from your tree house to the Menoa tree. Before we left, I placed that rose in your hair."

"But the magic,"

"It stayed in your hair all night. At the end of it, the ancient dragons touched you and Eragon and must have left some of their magic in the rose."

"So the flowers,"

"Were never meant to control you." He smiled at her and her mind raced as memories started to crowd her mind again. She barely remembered that night. She remembered the dragon he spoke of, but the rest was a blur except for some things, like poems and sculptures. Eragon having two attacks while they sat in silence. She dropped the rose to hold her head as she slid down the door to the floor. Lifaen hurried over to her and she could smell oak in the spring. It sent her mind spinning even faster. She was wrapped in the smell as Lifaen held her, waiting for the fit to pass. Behind her closed eyes. She could see blurs of other elves' faces that she could feel herself dancing with. But mostly, and clearly, she could see Lifaen holding her and dancing with her. There was the memory of a taste on her lips that she could never place. "There is no reason for any to fear you." Lifaen's voice echoed. But she couldn't tell if it was a memory of him actually saying it as he held her.

* * *

Florina walked down the hall, trying to clear her mind. Memories of the Agaetí Blödhren still danced through her mind along with intentions. She feelings were mixed and she was having difficulty sorting them as what she thought to be true in her head was fighting what she felt was true in her heart.

Murtagh walked up to her and stopped to bow before trying to pass her. She stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To kill the elf before he can do anymore damage." Murtagh answered and stepped back to look at her. What he saw was not what he was expecting. He could still see the madness, but there was a warmth there that shouldn't be.

"I believe I said I wanted him to watch the bloodshed that follows." She said. "No one is to touch that elf except for me." Murtagh sneered and moved to walk past her. She grabbed his shoulder tightly and stopped him again. "What are you doing?"

"Saving you."

"I do not need to be saved. And I said no harm was to come to the elf. What is not clear about that?"

"The why." Murtagh answered as they stood side by side.

"I want him to watch the bloodshed. Or did you miss that part of my order earlier?"

"Why do you insist on keeping him alive?"

"You are questioning me now, your queen?"

"I have never known the queen to keep a prisoner alive for no reason. I will free you from this spell that he has placed on you." Murtagh moved to walk forward and Florina threw him back down the hall and glared at him.

"Do you not trust me to make decisions when it comes to how I rule _my_ Empire." Florina hissed.

"No," he said as he stood. "There is something wrong with your mind. You have become unpredictable and it is because of that flower and that elf. Before the attack on the forest, you were fine. You even turned Edan and Kilana to follow you. And now, when the enemy is on your doorstep, you cannot do what needs to be done to ensure the safety of your people whom you claim to love."

"If you kill that elf, those Riders will not hesitate to kill whoever is in their way to get to us. He will be the last to die, once he sees what his actions have caused."

"He dies now." Murtagh hurried towards her. She stepped in front of him and punched him in the jaw. He got up and started throwing punches as well. They wrestled back and forth, Florina forcing him back towards the rooms. Their fighting drew the attention of several Riders including Edan. They fell to the floor outside Galbatorix's old rooms which were open to air them out. Murtagh grabbed Florina's arm and threw her through the open door. he jumped to his feet and closed the doors, locking them with the key he had found.

"Murtagh! Let me out of here!" Florina screamed. "You will regret this! You will beg for death to take you before I'm done with you! Murtagh!" She threw herself against the door and Murtagh and the others stepped back. He wasn't sure how reinforced Galbatorix made the door. All he knew was that it was impervious to magic. Florina kept screaming and Murtagh looked at the gathered Riders.

"This is for her own good." He said. "That elf and that rose are messing with her mind and are trying to force a spell on her that will put her back under her control."

"You are dead after this, you know that right?" One of them said.

"It'll have been worth it to save her from this madness." Murtagh answered and began walking down the hall. "Prepare for battle. We attack when the sun rises."

Edan leaned against the wall by the door and looked at his hand and the silver oval there, the gedwëy ignasia. Kilana had chosen him for a reason, because of his heart or what was in it. He had sworn himself to Florina's service to protect the people. He had never been influenced by the blood magic. He knew that she had been unstable since the battle in Du Weldenvarden. Kilana had suggested that maybe it was her true memories trying to return. If that was the case, Lifaen was the key to all of this. And if Lifaen was the key, Murtagh would be coming for him again. Edan pushed himself off the wall and left Florina screaming as he hurried to guard Lifaen.

* * *

 **Things are beginning to happen. And I think I like this way of her coming back than dying. But that's not to say she'll live either. H** **aven't entirely made up my mind. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	15. What is the Truth?

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I am not standing down, Arya." Delinnëa snapped as she donned her armor. She had found it in the armory in Tildarí Hall in the short time she had been there. She was glad that it fit and she could move in it. The rose was still secure in her hair and she was sure that it would never move. It was the third rose that her father had given her mother and the one that had seen her through the war with her birth father.

"You do not have the strength nor experience it takes to defeat your mother." Arya argued. "She will destroy you."

"She wants me to surrender control of the Riders to her."

"From what I saw, she negotiated with Garrow and not you. You should never have laid siege to the queen." The elf queen said. "Not to mention that your father is still her prisoner. What if she decides to throw him into the middle of the fight and the only way he lives is that you surrender? What are you going to do?"

"What my parents taught me to do." Delinnëa said without hesitation. "They would want me to do what they would do." Arya stepped back, the words taking her back to just after the Battle of the Burning Plains.

 _Eragon and Saphira had just left with his cousin without a word to anyone. Hoping that Nasuada would have the answer, she had gone to her pavilion and arrived as Florina was walking out. "And what about you? Should we be concerned that Galbatorix has Emily in his dungeons and that he will use her against you?" She heard Nasuada ask. "No," Florina had answered. She had said something else but Arya couldn't hear her._

Nasuada had told her later that Florina had said that Galbatorix had not known that Emily had raised the Golden Rider. Arya had gotten the feeling that Florina would have sacrificed Emily to ensure the safety of Alagaësia. Now here was Delinnëa, the daughter of that same woman, promising to do the same thing her mother would have done. The thing that surprised Arya the most was that she knew that is what Florina would want if all else was lost.

"If you are going to help me, then I need you to keep Murtagh away from me and my mother." The younger woman said. "I think I know what my father was trying to do and I think I might be able to push her the rest of the way. But I can't do that if Murtagh is there and able to influence her."

"I can't let you do this." Arya said. "Your mother made me promise to protect you and your brother should anything happen to your parents. Your mother has been placed under a spell and your father is now her prisoner. We have no idea what has happened to your brother. I will not break my promise with you as well."

"You should have thought about that before fleeing to the valley with your people." Delinnëa snapped. "You ran and hid like a coward. And even then, I had hoped for your help. But you seemed to disappear when I told you that the flower was lost and no one hears from you until now. You may be the queen of the elves, but you do not rule me nor my Riders."

"Delinnëa," Garrow's voice came from outside as Arya opened her mouth to protest. Delinnëa buckled on her sword and pushed past the elf and out of her tent. Garrow met her outside the tent and took a moment to catch his breath. "Murtagh comes with Florina's Riders." He said. "Your mother does not ride with him."

"Why?"

 _"She's been locked in the king's rooms."_ A werecat trotted up to the trio. _"Since the elf showed up and began to talk to her, she has become even more unstable. Yesterday, she had an extreme episode that drove her to unconsciousness for an hour before she had seemed to return to her new normal. And just hours ago, there was a fight between the queen and Murtagh over the elf's fate."_ Delinnëa looked at the two Riders, a sparkle of hope in her eyes.

"Do you know what this means?" She asked. "It means that whatever Dad's plan is, it's working. She's coming back!"

"You can't be sure of that." Arya cautioned. "She can still be unbalanced and was put there to keep her safe during the fight."

"No, you're wrong, Arya." She said. "Mom is coming back to us. I can feel it. And we need to give Dad time to finish what he started." She turned to the werecat. "Where is he?"

 _"Locked in a tower, at the moment. He was placed there after the negotiations so he could watch the bloodshed. But her episode occurred right after that. And then she had gone to see him with the rose in her hand. I'm not sure what was said, but I could tell that she was different from the queen she had been these past several years."_

"Can you get to him?"

 _"I can try to."_ The werecat said.

"Then try. Tell him that he needs to get to my mother and help her. Tell him that he needs to finish what he started." The werecat nodded and ran back towards the city.

"What do we do, Nëa?" Garrow asked.

"We fight Murtagh and those that follow him. Try not to kill our brothers and sisters. They were only doing what the blood magic pulled them to do. As for the others, try not to kill them as well. Injure, but not too severely. Try to capture and hold them until Mom comes out as herself again."

"What about Murtagh?" Arya almost whispered.

"I'll fight him. And make sure he can't get to Mamma again." She answered as she began walking towards the dragons. Garrow followed. Others joined them as Delinnëa's orders spread through the camp.

* * *

Lifaen looked up as the door opened. He stood, prepared to defend himself. He was starting to get through to his wife. She was starting to see the truth. He was not going to let himself die now. Edan walked in and Lifaen gathered up his chains.

"What is a traitor like you doing here? Have you come to kill me?"

"No, Lord Lifaen." Edan said. "I never turned on the Riders. I swore to follow the Golden Rider where she led. Kilana and I decided to follow her to ensure her safety and the safety of the people. If the Golden Rider had started becoming her father, we would have turned on her and attempted to subdue her and take her home. Just now, she fought against Murtagh to keep you alive. And I saw something in her eyes that I have not seen in years."

"Her love of life." Lifaen said and Edan nodded. "Where is she now?" The elf asked as Edan unshackled him.

"She is locked in Galbatorix's old rooms. If we hurry, we can finish the job and get outside before the fighting starts." The two ran out of the tower and towards the royal wing.

* * *

Florina threw herself against the door for the hundredth time. It still didn't budge and her shoulder was beginning to bruise.

 _ **"Stop this madness, Brave One, and think. You cannot go out there and fight until you know what you are fighting for. Those Riders are not wanting to take your Empire from you, but take**_ **you** _ **from the Empire. What are you really defending against? Who is your real enemy?"**_ Kuldra said and Florina forced herself to sit on the couch.

 _ **"I don't know."**_ She admitted. _**"Ever since the battle in Duweldenvarden, ever since we found the flower, nothing has been straight in my mind. I have two different memories for every event since you hatched. I don't know what the truth is. Do I trust my head or my heart? What do I do, Kuldra?"**_ The dragon said nothing for a few minutes and so the two sat in silence until the gold dragon did speak again.

 _ **"Before she ended her life, Jarnunvösk told me that your truth splits here, at the castle. I did not know what she meant until you began to question yourself. And then I saw something in the dragon hold above and it brought to me a memory. It is a partial memory, but one that felt important."**_

 _ **"What did you see in the dragon hold?"**_

 _ **"A hairbrush. One that looked old. When I touched it, it fell to dust and splinters and hair. After that, I saw something that I think was a memory. Here, let me show you."**_ Florina opened her mind more and the dragon shared the memory.

 _She was assaulted by the sights of the old throne room. Everything had a gold tint which meant that she was looking through Kuldra's eyes. She was in front of Kuldra, guarded by Murtagh. The flower was prominent against the woman's black hair. From the stiffness in her stature, Florina knew that her father had just said something that she did not like. Then the vision began speaking._

 _ **"I don't believe you. My father was a blacksmith who was married to a barren woman. He knew Selena of old and was allowed to father a child with her, granted that the babe be given to his wife as her own. Selena agreed and I was conceived and born. Then Selena disappeared from our lives. That she had other children does not mean much to me and I call lies on you, Galbatorix. You are a liar, a thief, and a murderer."**_

 _ **"Florina, do not talk to your father in that manner." Florina turned.**_

 _ **"Mom?" She looked from her mother to the king sitting on his throne with his dark dragon behind him back to her mother. She was dressed in finery, not the rags they had expected. Her hair brown hair was no longer oddly cut and burnt. Instead it was long and tied into a partial bun. "No, that can't be. She was taken from us as a prisoner." Angela's prophecy echoed in the dragon's mind as she realized what had happened. "What have you done? Why are you dressed like that?" Emily looked at the king who nodded his ascent. Emily turned to face her daughter.**_

 _ **"Florina, you must understand, I did this for your own good."**_

 _ **"What are you talking about? You were taken captive. Father said you were taken by his spellcasters." Florina pointed to Galbatorix.**_

 _ **"Yes, I was taken by them. I was locked in the dungeons. I have been there for months."**_

 _ **"But you are not dressed like a prisoner. And there is no reason that he would dress you up like this unless you agreed to serve him." Florina fell silent and Kuldra could feel her Rider putting the pieces into place. The spell she had cast only allowed a select few to say their names and not be forgotten. They were herself, Florina, Arya, Caleb, and Emily. Neither of them had told the other two Riders their names. Arya was with Nasuada and Eragon. The man named Caleb was now dead. That left only one other person. "No." Florina whispered. "No! I don't believe you! You would never do that to me! I am your child! You raised me as your own! You would never do this to me!" Murtagh grabbed her. She didn't notice.**_

 _ **"She did it to save you, Florina." Galbatorix said. "She did it to keep you alive." Florina turned to face him.**_

 _ **"Don't waste your words on me! I was safer with the Varden than I am with you, no matter what you promised her!"**_

 _ **"Florina," Emily tried again, "listen to your father. You would have been killed had I not agreed to serve him. You would have been killed either by his men or the Varden. More likely the Varden once they realized I was in your father's dungeons and could be used against you."**_

 _ **"You're a fool!" Florina cried, barely aware of Murtagh's arm around her waist. "You are a fool to believe him! They knew, Emily! They knew exactly where you were! Dad and I went to them for help! To save you! They knew the whole time that you are here! They've known since before the attack on the city! They knew all along where you were!"**_

 _ **"Murtagh, take Florina back to her room." Galbatorix ordered. "I'm afraid this has been too much excitement for her."**_

 _ **"Yes, Majesty." Murtagh picked up his sister and carried her like a sack of potatoes.**_

 _ **"Let me go! No! Kuldra! They knew, Emily! They knew all along! You've killed us all! Let me go! Kuldra!" They all listened as Florina was carried away. Emily didn't say anything and only looked at the floor until Galbatorix spoke.**_

 _ **"Well, that is an interesting turn of events. Don't you agree, Emily?"**_

 _ **"Indeed, Majesty." He waved her away in dismissal. She bowed and left through the door she had entered through. He looked at them and nodded towards the large door and Thorn forced her through back to the dragon hold.**_

The memory receded and Florina sat in silence, processing the memory. It brought to mind other memories that didn't have a fight. Ones that had Eragon and his father, Brom, and Saphira in them. She recalled Kuldra mentioning a memory of being around water while in her egg. Florina felt the back of her head, where the Urgal club had hit her while she had flown to Eragon's defense, not Durza's.

 _ **"Who are you, Brave One?"**_ Kuldra asked. _**"I have shown you something that could not be faked. That memory of betrayal, no one could ever fake that. That woman meant something to you while she lived. Where does this memory lead?"**_

 _ **"To the truth."**_ Florina answered.

 _ **"The truth of what?"**_

 _ **"Of who I am."**_

 _ **"And who are you, Brave One? Are you the queen of the Empire, a position you inherited from your father, King Galbatorix? Or are you the Golden Rider, a woman raised by a humble blacksmith and his barren wife until the wife was kidnapped by the mad king?"**_ Kuldra was silent a moment. _**"Who are you, Florina?"**_

* * *

 **The war ends, hopefully, next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	16. The Golden Rider

Lifaen and Edan skidded to a halt in front of Galbatorix's rooms. The doors weren't buckling, but they could smell, faintly the scent of burnt wood. Whatever enchantments held the door were slowly breaking. The elf and Rider looked at each other. Edan gathered strength from Kilana and Lifaen gathered magic from the surrounding area, the servants and guests, careful not to draw from Florina and Kuldra. Together, they sent magic blasts at the door. After a minute, the door exploded, knocking the two men back. Lifaen recovered quickly and ran into the room where Florina was slowly getting to her feet. She looked at him.

"Lifaen? What are you doing here?" She asked. She sounded like herself again. But there was also a chance that it was a trick to kill him.

"I came here for you, Love. I came to save you before the blood magic destroyed your mind."

"How do I know you're not another illusion?" She said in a shaking voice. "I've already lost Kuldra to an illusion, I can't lose you as well."

"I'm not an illusion, Love." Lifaen said as he took several steps closer. She let him, but she was guarded. He didn't blame her. From her talk, he could guess that she was the version of herself that was fighting the blood magic.

 _"She knows who she is."_ Kuldra broke into his thoughts. _"She knows that she is the Golden Rider and the leader of this new generation of Riders. But the world around her keeps changing. Help her, Lifaen. She cannot hear me because of the illusion that I am dead."_

 _"How?"_

 _"Before we were both lost to the blood magic, I tried to get her to remember a rose, the rose you have given her for the past two centuries. I know you have the one from the Agaetí Bl_ _ö_ _dhren. Give it to her and hopefully it will restore her mind."_

Lifaen took the rose from his pocket. He had hidden it there after Florina had left, forgetting it after her fit had passed. She took a step back from him and kept moving back until she was against the bed.

"I am real, Love." Lifaen said in the ancient language, hoping that he would be able to get through to her using that. "This is not going to harm you." He bit his lip as he saw that she was reaching for her sword. "Reach into my mind and see if I am lying or an illusion." She froze. He lowered the barriers around his mind so she could search. After a few minutes, he felt her mind brush against his and then enter it. He was enveloped by her fear and worry, but he could sense her love for the world and her people and for Kuldra. He could also hear the faint strands of dragon magic that made her mind similar to his own. She retreated back behind her barriers and looked at him.

Florina took a deep breath, her mind spinning. She knew that a mind could not be faked by a spell. She had told that to Nasuada when she had been a prisoner in the castle during the war. Even if it was possible, an elf's mind would be the most difficult to recreate because of the fay strands that made them unique. She looked at the rose. She knew it. She had lost the last one in the castle during one of her escape attempts. She knew the rose in his hand. She could feel the dragon magic on it. It was hers, the one she wore to the Agaetí Blödhren so long ago. She had hidden it in her tree house in the elven capital. She looked at the elf, at her husband. He was real. His mind was his own. She ran into his arms and began crying in relief to feel him, solid against her. He was there. He had found her. But holding him confused her mind even more.

She felt him place the flower in her hair and she was bombarded with memories that were her own, she knew them as her own. She remembered Caleb and Emily. Her travels with Brom and Eragon. Fighting against Murtagh several times to escape a castle. She remembered fighting Murtagh after Oromis fell and replacing Naegling with her sword. Forcing Kuldra to leave. The war was over. Galbatorix was dead. Eragon was training new Riders. And she was mated to the one she loved and who loved her. The first one to never fear her because of her eyes.

 _ **"Brave One?"**_ She heard Kuldra venture. Florina smiled.

 _ **"I am me, again, Kuldra. It is good to know that you are alive and well."**_ Florina looked at her husband and saw the worry leave it. "Lifaen," she said. "How did you find me?"

"It wasn't that hard." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Some time after Murtagh kidnapped you, you flew upon Ilirea and took the throne from Nadara. She's alive and so is her son. You became queen and made it your sole responsibility to protect your people and so you started another Rider war by invading the elves."

"I'm in Ilirea?" Florina asked. "I'm not in some castle in the north?"

"No, you've been here for years now, ruling. The Empire has flourished under your rule, but you are immortal and we both know what happened the last time an immortal was on the throne."

"Yes," she said. "We do. Where is Murtagh?"

"Outside, Ma'am." Edan said from the door and the two looked at him. "He and others flew out against Delinnëa and the Riders from Vroengard."

"Delinnëa's here?" Florina cried. "Edan, free whatever prisoners are in the dungeons. Lifaen, find a weapon to defend yourself."

"I will find him one, Golden Rider. You get outside." Edan said and pulled Lifaen from the suite and Florina ran to the dragon hold above, each step bringing back memories.

* * *

Delinnëa looked at her uncle and noticed that he was not scared of her. Why would he be? He was older than her, had more experience in being a Rider than she did. But he was the only one. The others had gone from looking ready for a fight to confused about the situation. It gave the young Rider hope that things would work out the way they needed them to. Hope that her father was making a path through the blood magic to her mother, to the Golden Rider.

"You should let me handle Murtagh, Delinnëa." Arya tried again from her left. The half-elf didn't look at the elf queen. She had been trying for hours to get her to stand down so she could keep a promise made to her mother. It wasn't going to happen. Delinnëa didn't answer and Evaríyna surged forward at the same time Thorn did. None of the other Riders moved as the two leaders engaged in the clash of metal and dragon roars.

"Remember, do not kill our brothers and sisters." Garrow called to the rest. "It is not their fault that they and the Golden Rider were bound to Galbatorix's will at the end of the war." He adjusted himself in Dwerva's saddle. "Maim, but not severely. Keep them from interfering-"

"STOP!" A voice boomed over the two fighting Riders. They didn't stop but everyone else looked towards Ilirea. A gold dragon was flying from the city with six Riders and their dragons behind her. Arya recognized Alia and her cousin, Naridan, and Riflen. She also saw Edan and Sila, the two pairs from Surda. "I did not call for this fight to happen." Florina snarled and Arya saw the woman whom had become her friend over the long years. She was back. Delinnëa had been right. "Stand down and get back to Ilirea. Stay in the camp below. I will not have you all scaring the citizens of the city." Arya smirked and turned her back on the fighting as Garrow sounded their retreat.

* * *

"Give up, Girl." She heard Murtagh sneer as they got closer. "You won't save your mother. Once I've gotten rid of you and your father, she will be back under the control of the blood magic and she will be the queen that this empire needs." Florina saw the blood and wounds on her daughter and the little injuries on her brother. His next words were cut off as Kuldra rammed into Thorn, putting the two of them between the two fighters.

"Don't you ever touch my daughter again." Florina growled at him.

"Majesty, I wasn't expecting you to be out here what with your declining mental health."

"You've done enough, Murtagh and I refuse to let you harm _my_ family any more than you already have."

"But I am your family, Majesty." Florina's eyes narrowed as she recognized his ploy to get the blood magic to work again. She smirked at his frown. She refused to let the blood magic affect her again.

"You are no family of mine, _Traitor_." The word hung in the air as they looked at each other. "Nëa, go back to the camp and get cleaned up." Florina told her daughter. "I will handle this."

 _ **"Are you sure you can do this, Brave One? What if he pulls you back under the blood magic?"**_

 _ **"He won't. I won't let it happen. I know what is important to me and who my father is."**_

"Majesty, stop this foolishness and allow me to fight this girl. Go back to the castle and rest. Your father would want you to look your best when you see your people in victory. You are a queen after all."

"No!" Florina snapped. "I am not the daughter of the Black King. I am not the queen of this Empire. I am the daughter of Caleb and Emily of Kuasta. I am a blacksmith taught by my father as I grew. I became a Rider because of his find in a cove we loved to swim in. He died in the war, trying to get help for my mother who was forced to betray us. I am the Golden Rider of Alagaësia and I will not be swayed by your blood-soaked silver tongue." Kuldra surged forward with a blast of fire and their fight began.

* * *

 **I know someone had suggested that I have Eragon and Florina fight, but he is bound by the fact that he could never return to Alagaesia again and so I have the elder two of the three siblings fighting it out. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	17. A War's End

**Not quite the end, but close. Enjoy!**

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Her whole body shook as she held Zar'roc away from her with Naegling. Their fight had lasted well into the night and the new day was dawning. They were evenly matched when it came to fighting. They always had been. That's the way the three of them had been once Eragon had learned to fight. She was the one who had taught the youngest of them to fight more than one opponent. She wished she had him with her now. They had just started to get back in touch and be more of a family before Murtagh had kidnapped her and Kuldra. But she knew why he couldn't be here for her and for her family. Years after the end of the war, when they were all settled and they had started training the new Riders, Eragon and Saphira had told them of Angela's prophecy the day she had found him in the herbalist's shop. Once he left the lands of Alagaësia, he would never be able to return. He had made that true by tying himself to the valley and the secret it held. In order for him to live there with the dragons and the new Rider's, he had made a pact with the valley's previous guardian to become the valley's guardian, freeing the creature before and binding Eragon and Saphira. It was a choice that Eragon had taken years to tell even Arya about. He had told the elf queen after she had invited him back to Du Weldenvarden for the twentieth time. It had saddened all of them. Florina had made the decision never to tell Roran and Katrina. She had made up the excuse that Eragon was so busy with training the new Riders that he felt he couldn't leave them alone and had given the couple a special mirror they could use to contact their cousin. Eragon had still managed to be an uncle and send gifts. He was more excited than Garrow's parents when the boy had been chosen by Dwerva. A metal clang interrupted her memories and she focused again on the fight she was in.

Florina's legs threatened to buckle under Murtagh's weight. They had landed around midnight, when the dragons could no longer hold themselves in the air due to their injuries. They now laid on either side of the fighting pair, making a large circle around them. Their fates would be decided by the two Riders fighting. Murtagh had since stopped trying to get the blood magic to work for the moment. Florina knew that he was trying to wear her down, make her vulnerable. Like he had in his castle in the north. But he was quickly wearing down as well which would make him easy to capture. But he was hard to keep alive. He had become a Rider under Galbatorix. He had learned from the Mad King and knew spells and tricks that she did not; that none of the Riders would be prepared for and she dare not try to keep him locked up in the valley with Eragon and the knew Riders who would be vulnerable to his silver tongue. Then there was the blood magic that ran in both of their veins. She may have escaped its grip for the moment, but she knew that it was still there. She knew that, in a moment of weakness, it would be there to take her over. The Queen of Alagaësia would always be ready to take her throne back from whomever the Golden Rider gave it to. It was a problem that Florina and Kuldra would have to figure out later with Lifaen's help. But she already had an idea of what needed to be done.

Florina pulled back on Naegling and Murtagh pitched forward. Florina slipped on the mud created by their blood and fell next to him, losing her grip on the gold sword. The siblings looked at each other. Florina pushed herself to her knees and reached for her sword which wasn't far away. Murtagh got to his feet and kicked it away. He was visibly shaking as well. Even though they were the oldest Riders living, even they had limits to their endurance and stamina. But she had also been fighting the blood magic.

Florina tried crawling for her sword, but Murtagh grabbed her hair and pulled her next to him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He hissed. "I have given you everything your father left you. He left you everything he had. What more could you want? A family? You had me. A husband? You can have any man in the Empire. You could build an army of Riders of your children and grandchildren if you wanted."

"Go to hell." Florina spat. "And I had everything I wanted. I had a normal life. I had a father and mother who loved me. I found a purpose when Kuldra hatched. My father taught me everything I needed to know. He gave me everything he had and it was all that I ever wanted." She pulled her dagger from her belt and stabbed his leg. He roared in pain and let go of her hair to grab his leg in order to try to heal it. But he was too weak from the fight that the magic fizzled out as he struggled to get the words out.

Florina grabbed her sword and looked at him. This was her chance to end it. But he was distracted. Her father would frown if he knew that she had killed a defenseless opponent. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She would give him a chance to heal himself. The other Rider fell to his knees as he lost more and more blood. Thorn whimpered and Florina's heart shattered. It would be mercy to kill them both now and end their suffering. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Murtagh yelled loudly in the ancient language and his palm glowed white. The glow enveloped his hand and then his arm and then his body. Florina tried crawling away, knowing she was too close. She threw an arm up to protect herself from the bright light, and also the arm reaching for her. Murtagh screamed in pain and Thorn echoed it. Florina tried pulling herself away, tried getting to her feet so she could get away. She fell into the dirt again as the light got brighter. She looked back at her half-brother. The glow was turning red. There was a blast and she was knocked to her back for a moment before she was lifted and flipped over several times, being tossed past Kuldra as the same glow enveloped Thorn. Florina hit a rock and lost consciousness.

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He looked up from the plow and took a long drink from the water jug on his back. Other workers in the fields did the same, taking their cue from him. He signaled a break and they all went to sit in the shade. Roran Stronghammer, when he had built his mansion on the hill, had cleared a large area of the valley to become a communal farm. Everyone in the valley worked it, or parts of it to keep the land healthy. This year, the acreage to be left alone was closer to Therinsford. But Roran had also ordered that everyone was to do their part when it came to the fields. Even he did. Garrow hadn't, but that was because he had become a Rider so young.

"Elan, there is a Rider here for you." Elan looked back towards Carvahall and saw one of the soldiers running over to him. In the distance, he could see a dark form waiting on the outskirts of the town. Elan stood and grabbed his shirt and sword.

"What is it, Baldor?" Elan asked. They came from the same family. Baldor's great-uncle had married Elan's great-aunt or something like that. Elan's parents had decided to honor the matriarch of the family during the war, Elain, who had stood beside her husband when Carvahall had been besieged by the Empire. Baldor had been named after her son who was fast friends with Roran Stronghammer. The families had stayed close over the years.

"A Rider, Elan. He says they've come to take you to Ilirea."

"Ilirea? What could the queen want with me?" Baldor shrugged in answer and the two men walked back towards the city while the rest of the men got to work. As the soldier and earl got closer to the dragon, Elan could see that it was Garrow, Roran's first son who had become a Rider. Elan sighed in relief, knowing that it wasn't the queen who wanted him.

"Garrow, what brings you home again?" Elan called as they got close enough. The Rider pushed himself off the dragon's leg and the two embraced quickly.

"I've come to take you to Ilirea, Elan." Garrow said. "You are needed there."

"You serve the queen?" Elan asked, confused as he put on his shirt and belted on his sword. His wife came out of the city with his pack. Katherine handed the pack to Garrow and kissed her husband's cheek.

"Be safe, Love." She said. Elan wanted her to go with him, but they had a young child to think of and riding on dragon back would not be the best thing for the newborn.

"I'll come back. I promise." Elan said. Garrow helped him onto Dwerva and then climbed up after him. Once both men were settled, the dragon jumped into the sky and flew towards the capital of the Empire. Elan's stomach turned as he tried not to look down. This was the first time he had ever ridden on a dragon and it was bothering him. He was glad he had yet to eat lunch. He didn't look up from Garrow's back until he felt that they had landed which was hours later to camp. Garrow explained that Dwerva needed to rest before going the rest of the way since she had been flying against the wind. Elan could only nod and slowly eat his food, trying to keep it from coming back up.

In the morning, the men got back into the dragon's saddle and flew the rest of the way to Ilirea, arriving just before midday. Garrow took his family to a room where Elan could wash up and then took him to a small study where he needed to wait. Elan stood in the middle of the study and looked at the maps on the desk. He looked up when the door opened.

"Hello Elan, it is good to see you." A female voice said.

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 **One final cliffhanger for my faithful readers. Hehehe. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	18. Home

**So...I got hit with an idea that I needed to get out right away, for all the current fics, and so you all benefit by getting a second update within two days. Enjoy!**

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A woman with black hair and sea green eyes walked into the room. Elan was surprised when he saw her pointed ears. As far as he knew, the elves hadn't been involved in the war with Florina. The woman crossed her arms while he gawked. After a moment, he closed his mouth.

"My Lady," Elan said respectfully. "How can I be of service to you?"

"Please, Elan. I'm not looking for that from you. You are here to see the queen, not me. Well, you will be meeting with me, but not just yet."

"So, the queen is not dead?"

"No," the woman said, almost with relief. "Follow me. She's waiting outside." The woman exited the study and Elan followed her. They followed much of the same route Garrow had taken him on to get to the study. He was surprised that everything seemed so cheery. He turned his attention back to the elf. She had a slight roundness to her face that could be from a swollen face or from her blood. He wasn't sure. But he could tell that she had been in a pretty big fight recently. How recent, he wasn't sure. Garrow had told him that everything was fixed and as it should be. But Elan wasn't ready to believe anything at face value. Rumors were slow to get to Palancar Valley when there is not a war between the most powerful beings in Alagaësia.

The woman led him out into the courtyard and onto the wall where a lone figure was watching over the city. She had long black hair partially held back by a rose with gold petals that were lined in white. There was a tired look in her eyes and he could see several wounds that were bandaged or not. A walking stick was next to her and a gold sword at her hip. He had heard of the queen and that she bore a gold sword to match her gold dragon. The dragon was nowhere to be seen. The elf said something in a strange language and the queen looked at them.

"You may go, Delinnëa. I'll be okay." The queen said. "I'll call you if I need you. Besides, your father is nearby." The woman left and it was just Elan and the queen. She turned back to the city. "Tell me, Elan, how do these people look compared to yours?" Elan looked at the city and noticed that it was bustling with activity. One never would have guessed that a war had just ended.

"They are content, Majesty." He said. "They are happy. Just like the people of Palancar valley." He turned his head to look at her, very aware of the drop to the street below. "Why am I here?" He asked.

"Did you know that your ancestor, Roran Stronghammer is cousin to Eragon Shadeslayer?" She answered his question. "His father was Eragon's uncle through his mother. His mother, Selena, bore Murtagh before him…and before me. Eragon is the youngest of Selena's children, but probably the smartest. Murtagh had many chances to change and he didn't. I should have gone with Eragon to the Valley instead of clearing Vroengard and making that the home of the Riders again. Glaedr chose him to give his help to when it came to training the new Riders."

"You are related to Uncle Eragon?" The queen nodded. "Selena was raped by Galbatorix and she bore the child on her way to Kuasta. She left me there with a blacksmith where I was raised as a common child. I was never a royal in my mind, but I was always wealthy in family. It wasn't until during the war that I found my true family, Eragon and Roran. And then Murtagh and Galbatorix. The last two I refused to believe, but it is true. Eragon and Murtagh are my half-brothers. Eragon the son of Brom, a Rider from Kuasta. Murtagh the son of Morzan, the First and Last of Galbatorix's Foresworn."

"You don't claim the king as your father."

"He has nothing to do with me. I hate that his blood runs in my veins. It was him who caused this whole problem."

"I don't mean to be impatient, Majesty. But why have you asked me to come here."

"I am leaving Alagaësia. Through me, Galbatorix has done much damage. When I leave, the Golden Rider and her dragon will only be myth. A brief dot in the history of this land if any believe in her at all. Only the Riders will know of her. Not even you will remember me or this conversation. But I have one thing to ask of you, Elan Stronghammer. The reason that I asked about your people and if you knew our bloods were shared is that I believe the ability to rule is in the blood of the person who is in charge. Any man can sit on a throne and pass laws and pass judgements, but it takes a special person to keep them happy like we have done. Nasuada and her line did nothing to keep these people happy. I had no resistance when I flew upon the city and took the throne. I have asked you here to take the throne, Elan. I am giving you the throne rather than giving it back to Nadara or giving it to her son. You know how to lead the people and keep them happy. You have done it in Palancar Valley."

"But the Empire is far larger than the valley."

"Elan, there is no one else I trust. I have talked with Delinnëa. She agrees that you are the only one able to do this. The people of Palancar Valley have royal blood running through their veins. Your people followed Roran out of the valley and across the Empire just to find Eragon so he could save Katrina. If he hadn't done that, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now and things might very well have gone differently during that war."

"If I say yes, you said that I won't remember this conversation."

"Delinnëa is going to approach you as the leader of the Riders. A position which is hers by right. When I am gone, you will remember being asked here by the leader of the Riders because they succeeded in overthrowing the queen, the Black King's Daughter. But that is all. Will you do this, Elan?"

"I will, Cousin." He said and she looked at him and smiled.

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"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, Mama?" Delinnëa asked as her mother climbed onto her dragon. Lifaen settled behind her. Arya and Angela were already seated in Fírnen's saddle. The Riders who had hatched during Florina's reign were already heading toward the Valley with Oromis and Glaedr.

"Delinnëa, you are the leader of the Rider's now. You can't be coming back to the Valley with me. You have a responsibility. Besides, you have to make sure Elan will still take the throne and that word spreads that the queen has been overthrown." Florina smiled as she looked down at her daughter. "You can do this, my darling. You have done much. _You_ saved me. Not your brother. Not your uncle. Not even your father. You. I know that you can do this. Just keep history in mind so you don't repeat it."

"But what if I want to come see you?" Delinnëa challenged, a grin on her face. Florina and Lifaen laughed.

"If your responsibilities permit." Lifaen half-scolded and Delinnëa pouted. Florina's smile fell from her eyes. Her daughter was the only one to make it out of this mess unscathed. Oromis and Glaedr had nearly died. There was no telling if they would ever be whole again. Lifaen had been beaten to almost within an inch of his life. Florina and Kuldra would have to forever live with the fact that Galbatorix had gotten the best of them. He had won for a time, getting Florina on a throne that she never wanted. He had taken over their minds and forced them to fulfill his goals. The elves were slowly returning to the forest. After she dropped Angela off in the Valley, Arya would be returning to her people. Everything was beginning to right itself.

The Riders and dragons bid a final farewell to the new Leader of the Riders and took to the sky, circling until they were at the right height. They angled northeast and flew with the wind at their backs. They had to turn at the forest and fly alongside it due to the enchantments that were still active. They camped on the hill that over looked a river that flowed out of their home. Only Arya would be returning this time. The Golden Rider was finally flying into the myth she had always been with her husband at her side. Only the elves and the Riders would remember her and the elves only because most of them had lived long enough to know her. It took most of the day for them to reach the Valley which no longer had a barrier that Eragon needed to open. The two dragons flew through the arms and landed outside the castle. Eragon and Saphira were waiting for them. Eragon hugged his sister, saying the others had made it safely and that her enchantment had taken effect and would hold even after she had died since she had used the Word to enact it. No one knew that the Golden Rider had stayed in Alagaësia after Galbatoix had died. To most, she had never existed. Eragon also told them that Elan had accepted the crown and his rule was accepted by the entirety of the Empire along with the dwarves and the Urgals. Arya had already given her support to the new king, but would make it official once she had gone back to check on her people.

Eragon and Saphira led Florina, Kuldra, Lifaen, Angela, and the werecat towards a secluded part of the Valley that was forested. In one clearing was a hut with all of Angela's things inside which she promptly went into and locked the door. Eragon led the couple and Kuldra to another clearing closer to the mountains where Kuldra would have a cave to sleep in. At the edge of the clearing was a thick stand of trees with a house sung into them. Eragon and Saphira left and Florina and Lifaen looked at the house.

"He must have done this a long time ago." Lifaen said. "There is no way he had the strength or the time to do this within the few days that he had after you made the decision to leave."

"Either way," Florina answered, "we're home and we're never leaving it again." He kissed her and they walked into their new home and life.

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 **For those of you who might be wondering, Florina and Kuldra began helping to train the new Riders who were only sent to Delinnea after they had received their blades. It was a process that took years to complete and so the Riders grew slowly. Delinnea continued to lead the Riders and learning from her father when she had time to contact him. She never returned to the Valley to see her parents or her brother since her responsibilities were numerous. Oromis and Glaedr secluded themselves from all including Florina and Lifaen. Oromis never fully healed and was never ever to use magic again. The two would often be seen flying around the mountains if they were seen at all. Florina and Kuldra, with Lifaen, finally learned to control the blood magic, but still very aware of the damage it could cause should they ever become lax in their vigilance.**

 **And so ends the tale of Selena's Daughter. Thank you for coming with us on her journey and thank you very much for reading.**


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